Doctor Patient Confidentiality
by Pandiichan
Summary: Post-movie. "When the Chitauri bit you, saliva seeped into the wound. Its DNA mixed with your blood and has ultimately ruined the awesome implant I gave you. You know, the one that put your brain back together after the car accident? According to my computer, it's altered your brain waves. Whether you like it or not, you're not normal anymore, Squirt." Said Tony, looking at her.
1. Bitten

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN:** First _Avengers _story‼ WOOT, WOOT‼ Comments are appreciated! I debated writing this in first person, at first, but I ended up going with third person. Didn't really seem right in first person, I guess…

To my knowledge Point Taken doesn't actually exist. I just made it up xD (just like I made up the other places they're running to). This story takes place after Loki has been returned to Asgard and Iron Man has nuked the Chitauri ship.

* * *

Prologue: Bitten

Cars screeching to a halt, unknowingly forming a perilous maze of metal as people park – or crash – and run for cover. Somewhere in the sea of abandoned cars are the police units that preceded the chaos. Gunshots rang overhead, announcing and combatting the unnatural hum of alien carriers. Hellish creatures, seemingly faceless and no better looking than a deceased senior citizen fished from the river, unleash an odd war cry as they circled back towards the resistance while damaging surrounding buildings. One of those buildings was a moderately-sized dance studio called Point Taken.

A dozen girls and two instructors were deathly silent inside the building that had been rendered lightless only moments ago. Something had hit the building hard enough to shake it, to cause a power outage. It was the third hit the building had endured. The first came from an unpiloted alien ship (as in, the alien once in control of it was now dead, an arrow sticking out of its back) _thing _bouncing off the main window. Fourteen people eyed the fearful outside through a cobweb of cracking glass.

The second blow came from the enormous metallic caterpillar-like creature burrowing through much taller buildings like they were delicious tree leaves. Iron Man jetted by the window, looking brave and inspiring in his gold and red, and the creature followed. Its large tail flicked the smooth, flat roof of the building. Within seconds – what felt like an eternity to the people too afraid to move – the razor-sharp tip gouged through the concrete and exited. A wide ten inch gash provided a safer view of New York falling to pieces.

Aliens screeched overhead, speeding away to converge on what the dance studio attendees assumed to be survivors. Fighters. Through the large incision they could hear a distant roar, much louder than the collective voices of the aliens. Car alarms blared, the ground shook, and the gray-blue sky lit up for a millisecond. Was that thunder?

Noise began to fade from the perimeter of Point Taken. Some peered out the broken window, keeping their distance in case it shattered and caught the attention of wayward aliens, and others chose to look for the sky. Light, no longer mottled by alien ships, slipped through the concrete wound to comfort the dancers and instructors. A pair of green eyes evaluated the cocktail of concrete, dirt, and dust particles dancing in the shaft of light. _This can't be healthy, _she thought while rolling over to her hands and knees, _we're breathing all of this in_.

The overseeing ceiling tear seemed to have gotten larger, too. All of the shaking was likely to blame. Bits of crumbling concrete rained to the floor, warning that it would only get worse. "We need to move," Said the girl as she started scrambling for her back, staggering to her feet in the process.

"_What_?"

"Are you _crazy_?"

"I'm not going out there!"

"Cori, no way!"

Several other forms of protest arose but she shook her head. Coriander Henson snatched up her duffle bag and let it fall in its usual place between her shoulder and neck. "Coriander Ma_rie_ Henson you stay right here!" Snapped Ms. Lovell, the tap instructor. She was a blonde woman in her mid-thirties trying to keep a student, Alexandra Uman, from having a panic attack. Mrs. Greenwald, a tall, broad-shouldered redhead with gray eyes, gave her a similarly pointed look as she delved into her personal stash of snacks to feed them all.

"We're not safe here!" Cori pointed up to the deteriorating ceiling with a pale hand. As if to support her claim, more pieces of ceiling dropped down.

"We're not safe out there, either." Breathed Carmen Novenas as she started to question her friend's sanity. Who would _want _to go out there? All traces of unearthly alien humming ceased to exist, but car horns, roaring, and something metallic and ear-shattering could be heard beyond the safety of the building. Cori exhaled through her nose, feeling tension bloom between her temples. It beat strong and steadfast in her head, almost in-time with her heart.

She was scared, too, but didn't they see? With those aliens distracted they could seek refuge in a better building! Yes, it was all making sense. Her pulsating head was helping her mind craft a plan, acting as the tempo to her thoughts. _There's fourteen of us_, thought Cori, using her long, pale fingers to draw numbers in the dusty layer resting over the once pristine floor.

_And one and two and three and for and_ - the pinpricks of pain kept her alert, fought off her fatigue. Made her calculations quicker.

_So we can leave in seven pairs of two. In intervals. The cars will provide decent cover, though they may act as a deterrent._

Cori darted across the room on her long, lean legs to rummage through her friends' bags. What makeshift weapons could they have? _I don't think we're going to kill them with tampons,_ she mused dismally while tossing the small box over her shoulder. Her pale skin began to flush as the musty air settled around them like a thick blanket. At the moment, death had three forms: aliens, fear, and heat.

If she was going to die at the age of twenty-six, she was going to die from something lethal. Dying from something petty like heat or fear would only make people say, "That fits her. She was rather boring, you know? Always in the background. Died a virgin, too, isn't that sad?" People weren't going to say that about her, Cori decided. Her pillaging turned up three spritzer bottles of perfume, one can of mace, two pair of heels, and a nail file. Add her personal taser to that assortment, and they might have a fighting chance. Coriander stuffed the perfume bottles and mace deep into the heels before grabbing the nail file and her taser with her remaining free hand.

The shoes clacked together as the ground shook again. Coriander felt like a shaken soda, registering the sensation of her teeth rattling in her mouth and her B-cup breasts shaking from the rumbling threatening to topple her. Whatever the hell that was, she didn't want to know. She just hoped those alien freaks were absorbing the brunt of that force. "Okay, this is what we have," Her finds clattered to the dusty ground and she dropped her head towards her knees to find air.

Cleaner air and a moment's rest. Her head hurt like hell, it was fucking hot, and she was pretty sure the stress caused her period to come early. It would explain the cramps and terrible fatigue, at the very least, and the intense heat was partly owed to her thick black hair. Mrs. Greenwald had shared her food but it went untouched. They were more interested in the slightly dirty towels lining the balance bars along the back and east wall.

"We're really going to do this, aren't we?" Gulped Faith Bennewitz as she blotted at her eyes and neck with a towel. An uncomfortable silence settled, equal parts fear, disbelief, and determination. _We're not going to die_, said the girls silently as they eyed one another and clumsily divvied up their only choices for weapons, _we're not going to roast in here._

"Okay," Mrs. Greenwald took charge, always the sergeant compared to Ms. Lovell, "here's what we're going to do…" Because the two instructors knew their students, they knew little details that could help them escape safely. Carmen Novenas, for example, had a strong core and arms so she could help boost people over the vehicles if going around didn't look possible. Mousy Faith Bennewitz didn't have a lot of muscle but could rely on her light frame and thin build to weasel under cars if the need arose. Alexandra Uman was naturally panicky, naturally alert and quick – she may not have the most grace, but she could definitely tear across the concrete and cars between Point Taken and surrounding restaurants and shops. Denise Fontaine was especially acrobatic and could flip across the cars without hesitation.

Natalie Ross squeezed her hand comfortingly as they lined up in their ordered pairs and prepared to burst out into the street. Mrs. Greenwald was traveling between the fourth and fifth pairs while Ms. Lovell took the first and second. There was no easy way to assign two instructors to fourteen students. It simply couldn't be done, not in this design, and pairs were going to be left unescorted, regardless. "Alright," Mrs. Greenwald boomed confidently from the epicenter of girls, "confirm your locations before you go. Now!"

_And one –_ "Benny's!"

_And two – _"Curly Girl!"

_And three –_ "The Golden Plate!"

_And four – _"Munch Mania!"

_And five – _"Yogurl's!"

_And six – _"Danni's Mani-Pedi!"

_And seven – _"You're Sew In!" Answered Natalie for the two of them. Cori was glad she did. Her throat felt like it wouldn't open. Fear was rational, and Cori felt it triple every time a new pair set off ducking behind cars and signaling to one another until they found safety. She clutched the taser tightly, careful not to accidentally flip the switch or squeeze it out of her wildly sweating palm.

_"Before you even started dancing you stumbled twice. You're either uncoordinated, unlucky, or untalented…" Noted Mrs. Greenwald dryly, looking worse than bored to death as she waited to see what Cori could do. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked to Natalie for encouragement. She was the one who told her to try out here. She didn't tell her one of the teachers was Satan in the female form! Natalie flashed a bright, nervous smile and two thumbs before pressing play on the docked iPod._

_Alex Clare's "Too Close" began to play. Cori felt her mind detach from logic, from fear, and just danced. Dancing was something that came easy to her, something that truly moved her. She felt like her nerves were wired for the pirouettes, the graceful bends, and stomach-turning leaps that proved to be very addictive. Fluid movement to music seemed to be in the marrow of her bones._

_Dancing was essentially the family heirloom. It had been passed down as both a job and a passion from her grandmother to her mother, to her two sisters, and then to her. Cori swallowed nervously, anxiously awaiting the verdict._

_A pause. A chuckle._

_"That was surprisingly redeeming. You have a nice form and good lines overall. You're pretty gutsy. I pointed out a weakness you have and you danced anyways. That would've thrown a lot of people off. Not bad, Cori. Hopefully you'll put those guts to good use in my class."_

She breathed, aware of the door swinging shut again. It clattered as it closed, as it always had, and she was surprised it hadn't drawn any aliens to them. Cori could only assume they were elsewhere for the time being. That was good – more than good. _I will use those guts_, she thought as Natalie gave her hand another squeeze and nodded towards the door, dropping her chin and flexing her shoulders like she was about to charge a beast.

Apparently reminiscing about her hit-or-miss audition was took longer than intended. Or the previous pairs simply found cover quicker than they imagined. It was already their turn. Cori held the taser out in her right hand, turning it on, and let the breeze tangle her hair as Natalie threw open their door to freedom. The breeze was refreshing, and for a moment all of her senses forgot fear to feel relief.

Sweat was stripped from her face by the breeze and Cori almost sighed. You're Sew In was six buildings to the right, but they weren't totally scared. The signature needle and thread loop where the 'Y' sat could be seen from the entrance of Point Taken. They ran around cars, took to the sidewalks, even climbed up a few to keep their path unpredictable. Each traveling method gave them a different view of their surroundings, and every five seconds – it seemed, it felt – they were doing a wild scan for unwanted followers.

Cori felt her thighs ache and tighten as she sprinted up the hood of a taxi and slid down the end, a little behind Natalie who chose to circumvent a Honda. "Shit!" Cori's heart jumped in her throat as Natalie disappeared from view. Obviously, she fell, but Cori wondered why. Had an alien slipped by them, undetected, and lashed out from beneath the car? She jogged up to her friend who began to pull herself up while kicking away a topaz-shaped weapon made of blue and damaged silver-gold.

"What is that? God, stupid!" Natalie hissed at the object as she kicked it as best she could. It tumbled across the concrete, hitting the side of the Honda.

"I think it's an alien weapon," Murmured Cori as she pushed on Natalie's back to get her moving. They were only three shops away from You're Sew In now. Natalie chose to pick it up. She had no weapon to speak of and had been relying on Cori's for protection.

"It looks big enough to use as a club," Defended Natalie as she gave it a demonstrational swing and hugged it to her chest.

They continued on, feeling a bit safer with the large gun in their possession. Occasionally they ducked down into the sides of vehicles as they crept closer to their shop, making sure their moving bodies couldn't be identified. Outside the sounds of roaring and fighting rang much clearer, and jangled every nerve far worse than when they were inside Point Taken. _Only one shop away now, _thought Cori as relief chilled her aching body. _Half a shop_, her legs pulsed, ached, and Natalie raced ahead to grab the door.

You're Sew In was so close that Cori could see the items on display. Count the square stretches of desolate pavement before the shop. Two concrete squares stood before her and the door, Natalie holding it open eagerly.

"SKREEEE-EEE!"

_BOOM!_

"HOLY FUCK!" Screamed Natalie as the alien body landed hard enough on the car to sink the roof. Did that thing just _fly _through the air? _WHAT THE HELL? _wondered Cori as she froze for a moment, paralyzed by the suddenness of it all, to see if the creature had been knocked out cold. It landed on its back, and the right half of its face was swollen, nearly caved in with what looked to be fingerprint impressions, like something ridiculously large had sent it airborne by _hand_. "Cori, _move_!" insisted Natalie, her voice rising.

_Right move. Get the hell out of here. Get to safety._ Cori staggered slightly, brain sending signals to her wobbly legs.

"SKREEEE-EEE!" Apparently the impact hadn't been enough to knock the creature totally unconscious. It was merely dazed. And pissed. Natalie's call simply roused it, and Cori found herself panting 'oh shit, oh shit, shit, shit!' as she started to run. _I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it! _Realized Cori with a sense of pride that could only be worded as 'Haha, yes! Suck that you alien fucker!' but then something unbelievable happened.

She didn't trip like all of the other being-chased women in movies. No, her safe haven, the people inside, rejected her. Natalie was at the door, reaching out for her, when someone ripped her inside and forced the door closed, holding onto the handle for dear life. Hot breath washed over the back of Cori's neck and she swallowed, clenching her taser in a death grip. The reflection of the beast – a mix between a lean, grey Crypt Keeper and an angry bulldog – was visible in the shop windows, drawing up on Cori quietly, curiously.

Without warning she turned around and jabbed the taser into its body. The device made contact on its throat and it roared. Cori took off, catching a second-long glimpse of it rearing back, shaking its head, and flexing the tiny mouth lined with sharp teeth. If You're Sew In wouldn't have her, she'd try the next shop. "SKREEEE-EEE!" Screamed the creature as it locked bony gray arms around her and bit hard at the meat of her left shoulder.

Cori cried out, pain threatening to tear apart every nerve in her body. She could hear the blood well up from the wound, wetting the creature's lips as it snuggled its maw over the area as if to burrow its teeth deeper. Her hands clenched tightly to ward off the pain and the taser crackled, shooting at the ground. Cori roared in anguish, slamming her elbow back into what felt like its hip bone before jamming the taser into its leg. It faltered again, ripping its bloody mouth up from her shoulder.

Cranking up the intensity with her thumb, Cori dug the taser into its leg again. She could see its leg spasm as the creature dropped her to reestablish its stance. With one leg twitching it couldn't support its weight. It limped towards her on the good leg, growling as spittle and blood flew at her. Cori backed up, blinking back tears as she had to rely on her wounded shoulder for distance in order to make sure the taser didn't slip from her hand.

Basically scooting across the ground on her ass, Cori had an advantage. She was looking at the creature as it approached. It stood like a human and walked like a human. Had legs that met going towards the navel just like a human. There was an area between the legs, below the navel-like region, that caused her to believe these things could have genetalia.

Going on that, she tased the suspected genetalia mercilessly. Like a human male, it crippled to the ground. Half-curled, it still left the genetalia area exposed. Hopeful, and finally standing, Cori tased it again for good measure. And one more time just because the stupid thing had bitten her.

It convulsed unhealthily, crying out and clawing at the ground. Sharp blue-green eyes glared at her. Then it quit moving, deciding to lay down completely. Oddly still, oddly quiet. The blue specks in its chest, ones she hadn't noticed until they flickered dimly, died completely.

Blue-green eyes glassed over.

The door pushed open again, cautiously. "That blue thing in the sky is gone," Whispered one of the people inside with extreme relief.

"Iron Man fell from the sky," Said another.

_And I'm falling to the ground_, noted Cori as she succumbed to the burning pain in her shoulder, the fatigue, and the feeling of running on empty during this whole ordeal. Before she completely lost consciousness she heard someone say, "Call a medic!"

_Let's see if Stark will have to put me back together this time_, thought Cori as she closed her eyes and relaxed completely. The aliens were all dead. It would be alright.


	2. Feeling Blue

Doctor Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Oh my gosh I'm flattered! First Avengers story, first chapter, and I had this…WALL…of e-mails from Fanfiction in my inbox. I was shocked and excited. I always like receiving notices about my stories because it helps me stay keyed for writing process. Thanks guys! :)

Thanks to Arquero333, cocoa85715, and ShayChis for the reviews! That was awesome and, hey sometimes all you need is to be excited!

P.S: Let me know what you think of the story! Also, does anyone know how to apply an image cover to stories? I want to do that for this one and haven't managed to figure out how that's done. That's sad because I made a picture of Cori for the story xD.

* * *

One: Feeling Blue (And Seeing Green)

"She regained consciousness in-transit to the hospital but began to get hysterical so we had to sedate her." Whispered a level voice softly.

"I'd wake up fighting, too, if the last thing I remembered was an anorexic alien bulldog in my shoulder." Chuckled another. That voice was too loud. Too dry and wrongly humorous. It oozed matter-of-factness and flirtation. _Tony?_ Cori peeled her eyes open, wincing at the harsh, overbearing lights as an acknowledging moan slipped out a few moments later, delayed by the sedative.

"Hey Squirt!" Grinned Tony brightly, "How are you?"

Another moan.

"Cori, you're okay!" Pepper Potts launched herself at the bedded young woman and locked her arms around her neck.

"Ma'am, you shouldn't –"

"It's alright," Assured Tony, "she just has to feel her first and then she'll let go."

Pepper released her a few seconds later, smoothing down fluffy black hair that smelled of sour sweat. "What are you doing here?" Asked Cori as she put most of her waking energy into speaking correctly. Her tongue felt heavy and thick in her numb mouth. There was little room for thought in a head that felt stuffed with cotton.

"I'm on your emergency contact card, remember? Your parents put me on it after you had that accident two years ago, you know, because I gave you the chip that saved your life."

_"My baby!" cried Lily Henson as she eyed her daughter hooked up to tubes and wires, fighting past nurses, dancing students, and a red-headed woman arranging flowers by the bedside table. "What happened to you?" Lily asked her daughter, painfully aware that she wouldn't be answered. Her littlest child's eyes remained closed to mirror her eerily still body._

_"There was an accident," Answered the redhead, "She was T-boned by a man speeding through the intersection where Starbucks is."_

_"Ironically, the man who T-boned her was trying to escape the cops. He'd just robbed a convenience store. The collision gave him a concussion but because her car intercepted a force going at about ninety miles an hour, she was hit worse." The man resumed where the redhead left off, looking oddly out of place in a red and gold suit. Lily sniffed, wondering what that glowing sphere was in his chest, and how either of these people knew her daughter. All she really knew of Cori's adventures in New York was that she worked as a barista to pay for her dancing classes while she took time off from her major in dance and minor in English._

_As if the man could see her questions, he offered out a hand. "Tony Stark."_

_"Lily Henson," Replied Mrs. Henson hoarsely._

_"I'm Pepper, I work for Tony," Said the redhead. "When he sent me on coffee runs she always took the order. Tony drinks coffee so much that she actually memorized the order," Laughed Pepper. Whether it was one of Tony's quirks to send her off like clockwork or just a coincidence, she always seemed to show up at the Starbucks by eight thirty. After the first ten consecutive visits the drinks were just waiting on her. "Pepper and Tony" the cups would say, giving the Stark employee hope that, one day, their names would be on something more than just coffee cups._

_"What's the extent of the damage?" Wondered Sal Henson as he took some comfort in the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. According to the nurses and doctors her vitals were fine; she just wasn't waking up. His stomach churned unsettlingly at the idea of his little girl being in a coma._

_"Her head slammed into the steering wheel and then rebounded off of her headrest before being pinned back into the head rest by the airbag. Their scans claim damage to the occipital and parietal lobe," Explained Tony as he nodded to a few of the nurses._

_"How good is the chance of recovery?" Lily looked to Tony, desperate for answers. For something positive. Having Tony Stark here gave her hope. The Hensons didn't live in New York but they didn't have to in order to know Tony Stark. News of the genius philanthropist reached Athens, Georgia easily._

_"Relying on time alone, not very." He frowned at them. "But, with your consent, I might be able to better those odds."_

_"How? Why do we have to consent?" Sal Henson acknowledged the gnawing suspicion in his mind. It sounded fishy, his deal, but what if it did work? Stark had a pretty good track record where developmental technology was concerned. But, he was a father and this was his daughter…what if Stark's intentions took a turn for the worst?_

_"You'd have to consent because it would require surgery. I want to put this in her head." Stark opened his palm to reveal a computer chip waiting in a tiny plastic bag._

_"What's this for?" Lily couldn't see how a chip would fix her daughter._

_"It's a device I've tested on mice. It aims to—"_

_"ON MICE? YOU WANT TO PUT A CHIP IN MY DAUGHTER'S HEAD BASED ON MICE?" Screeched Lily in disbelief._

_"Ma'am, if you can't be quiet we're going to have to ask you to leave," Warned the nurse._

_"Please, Mrs. Henson," Tony tried not to yell over her, but he didn't like it when people jumped to conclusions and began to yell at him. He was Tony Stark! You don't yell at Tony Stark! "It aims to compensate for nerve damage by replicating the electrical impulses of healthy brainwaves."_

_A pause._

_"Will it work?"_

_"It has on the mice. Pepper can show you the folder. We started with furry little idiots and now we're dealing with cheese-nibbling con artists," Assured Tony. It wasn't the most eloquent thing he'd ever said, but it was true. The mice had bypassed their maze in a team pile-up the other day. Instead of wasting the time to walk around the maze they merely boosted one another up and anchored themselves into the tails of their friends to reach the end of the maze. Shaved a whole ten seconds off their usual record._

_Sal and Lily flipped through the folder, looking at numbers and pictures of tiny mice brains._

_"And, as an added bonus, I'll never have to reopen her head to fix it," Added Tony._

_"You're sure?"_

_"Yep. I can tweak the configurations all from home. It was built to respond to my computers."_

_"You're sure this will help my daughter?"_

_"Can Iron Man fly?"_

_"We'll do it." Sal squeezed the hand of his wife comfortingly. Tony nodded, mumbling to himself as he navigated several folders to find the one with papers detailing the procedure. It was experimental where humans were concerned, but he had faith in science and technology. How could he not, being who he was? The Hensons signed the documents, Pepper acting as the notary and the nurse as the witness._

_"We'll call you when she's going into recovery. For the time being, feel free to stay with Ms. Potts. She's quite accommodating." Tony grinned at his girlfriend before helping the nurse push Cori's bed into the hall. Any other man wouldn't be able to take charge like this, but Tony was an exception. Not only was he rich, a staple in the New York community, but he was also enviously brilliant._

_"Don't worry," Pepper smiled, trying to pull an ounce of genuine happiness from her disappointment and heartache. Cori was spunky to her, and adorable. She was almost like the little sister Pepper never had. "Tony's going to fix her up. There's nothing that man can't do," Swore Pepper. Six hours later, covered in blood and looking thoroughly mussed, shining with sweat, Tony stepped out of the operation room to call Pepper._

_He was sure the parents had stayed in the hospital, of course, but the call was to ease the tension. The familiar click! of Pepper answering warmed his heart. She never failed to disappoint; she was always there for him. "Our Squirt is back in the land of the living," Grinned Tony._

"Right…" Cori screwed her eyes shut, arms too heavy to lift over her eyes. There wasn't much she actually remembered about that day. Anything she could recall about the wreck had been given to her by other people. Namely Pepper and Tony. Pepper squeezed her hand and smiled, Cori reminisced, then made a lighthearted comment about Tony's ego concerning Iron Man and public safety.

Apparently Tony had been trying to apprehend the runaway suspect as Iron Man when the crash occurred. Police weren't too far behind him, but couldn't risk copying his erratic driving in the busy streets of New York. He knew the little silver white car before the suspect did. Knew who was inside it, and his heart ripped apart as he watched the driver's side condense like a soda can. Since the frame was already compromised, and Cori's unconscious figure could be seen pinned against the driver's seat, Tony saw no harm in ripping off the top of her car to get to her.

Tony had left the wounded criminal to the police. He airlifted Cori to the hospital himself, knowing the ambulance couldn't be trusted when there was already that much blood on the seat. She needed emergency care. He was the first one in her hospital room and the one signing her out for her parents to see. And it's no different now, thought Cori as Tony hovered over her curiously, inspecting her.

"You have no sign of a concussion," Smiled Tony as he pulled back and turned to move the wheelchair towards the side of her hospital bed. "C'mon, Squirt." Grunted Tony as he lifted her carefully, aware that she was just under one hundred and thirty pounds but realized that she was mostly incapacitated. The nurses had barely given him clearance to lift her, but Tony had always been impatient. Cori flinched as Tony deposited her in the wheelchair, her shoulder rekindling the painful fire in her nerves. She kept her head down as Tony wheeled her through the slightly familiar halls, not because she was ashamed, but because the motion kept her shoulder off the back of the chair.

It hurt like hell!

"Where are my clothes?" Cori's foggy brain detected a change in her wardrobe. She was sure she'd been wearing a short-sleeved orange shirt and a pair of black shorts when they ran from the building.

"You bled," Replied Tony simply, "_a lot_," He stressed.

"Don't worry though," Smiled Pepper, "I have new clothes for you right here." Cori felt the chair stop briefly as Tony handed off control of the chair to Pepper before they started towards the nearest bathroom. An iota of embarrassment flashed through her at the fact that she was twenty-six and needed help dressing, but at the moment she didn't care. The world still looked funny and she was relatively sure some form of diluted acid had been mixed with her morphine. A loose gray tee, a new bra, and baggy black board shorts would be her new attire. Once or twice Cori slipped from her perch on the toilet and had to latch onto Pepper for dear life.

"It's okay," Promised Pepper as she felt Cori's pulse beat swiftly into her neck, basically hauling the young woman up against her torso like a toddler, "I've got you."

"You treatin' me like a baby…" Grumbled Cori unhappily as Pepper finished putting a tiny pad into the girl's underwear before pulling them up. The hospital had been polite enough to supply them with a small bag of pads, given Cori's condition. They felt that tampons wouldn't be as safe right now, considering her disorientation.

"No," Pepper staunched the reflexive shake of her head. She'd hit Cori in the head; that would hurt Cori and she was in enough pain already. "No, just helping."

"No…I mean…in general." Slurred Cori as words began to break through the cottony-medicine fog of her mind. "You and Tony…treat me like a baby…pre-baby baby experience." Pepper almost dropped her. That wasn't really…well, okay, maybe it would make sense when a few things were considered. Tony was many things, but he also had a good heart where people were concerned, and Cori was no exception. Though Pepper couldn't really recall Tony volunteering to man brain surgery for anyone else.

Much less taking the time to nickname anyone.

"Never mind," Cori gripped the sides of the toilet as Pepper sat her back down, fully dressed. "It's the drugs," Coriander waved Pepper off, leaning to her left and into the wheelchair Pepper parked close to the toilet for safety reasons.

"Yes," Pepper's nerves steadied as her heart quieted down. She always got a little fluttery, nervous, when talking of Tony Stark and babies. They were in that 'what are we doing? Are we here or are we there?' phase of the relationship. Babies were a delicate topic. "Yes, it's the drugs. You'll be alright."

She rejoined Tony at the front desk. He scribbled away idly at the paper, brown eyes evaluating the spaces left to finish. Finally, he stood. "C'mon Squirt. Let's get you home."

"Is my home still standing? Those things were like vroom! and swish! and 'SKREEEE-EEE!' and I don't know if I have a house anymore." She felt like talking, all of a sudden. It was the longest thing she'd said since waking up and something in her brain wanted to talk more. Maybe as a precaution, to make sure her ability to speak hadn't been damaged.

"Yeah…uh, we're going to my house. Your apartment is gone, kid."

"I was going to run to your house," Revealed Cori as Pepper and Tony sat with her in the backseat of the limo Tony had waiting. "But it was really far away," Concluded the girl as she realized her statement hadn't ended. She was sure she'd finished that thought. It was hard to tell what she was saying and what she was thinking with all of the numbness and the detached, high-flying feeling and the fatigue.

"You were going to run to my house?" Tony mused, keeping an arm behind her as she swayed while trying to find her center of balance. Or sit up straight, Tony wasn't sure. He gathered her disorientation was partly owed to looking out the window and watching the world fly by.

"I thought the people at the hospital were going to kill me," Admitted Cori.

"Why would they kill you, Cori?" Asked Pepper gently. "Hospitals help people, not kill them."

"But I was bitten by the alien thing and I didn't want to be killed for turning into an alien!" Tony barely withheld a snicker. If Pepper's looks could kill, he'd be dead. If God didn't want him to laugh at people he shouldn't have given anyone the intelligence to make morphine. Well, maybe he shouldn't have made any other people in general.

"You're not going to turn into an alien," Pepper began to pet Cori's hair soothingly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure." Pepper nodded as Cori snuggled into her neck. The young girl looked up, baby fat-face framed by shoulder-length wavy black hair. Pepper had a lot of freckles. And those freckles looked like dirt. Or buttons.

"Super Pepper activate!" Giggled Cori as she poked a freckle – or was it a button? – on her friend's face. Pepper shot Tony a dry look as he snickered into his fist, turning towards the window.

"Someone's watching her until the drugs wear off. I don't trust her by herself." Pepper sniffed as she pushed Cori's hand down towards her shoulder so the girl could use it as a pillow instead. As Tony's assistant _and_ girlfriend she put up with a lot; some would go far enough to say that she was a saint and overly generous with her patience and understanding. Until they knew her, of course. Pepper Potts didn't liked to be poked, for one, and couldn't stand it.

"Good thing we have a tower of heroes waiting on us," Tony wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he grinned brightly.

* * *

_Clickity-clickity-clack_. Pause. _Cli-clickity-clickity-clack-clack_.

"What's that heinous noise?" Cori squinted against another bright set of lights and scowled. Raising her head took too much effort. Her head was far clearer than it had been the first time she'd opened her eyes, or so she assumed…not much could be remembered about that experience. "Where am I?" mumbled Cori as she carefully rolled to her right shoulder and looked around the room. The technology screamed Stark, right off the bat, because she didn't know what half of it was.

It was all futuristic, bright, glowing, and ridiculously thin. Highly polished and sleek, fitting the orderly feeling the room had. A long, curved table, broken up into three sections, was nearly indistinguishable with the amount of microscopes, holding racks, papers, and full vials. "Strange…Bruce, make a note that morphine has affected the subject in the same way that alcohol would. She's dazed and hilariously confused. And probably doesn't remember half of what happened in the limo, do you Squirt?"

"What limo?"

"Perfect," Tony grinned ear-to-ear like the demented Cheshire cat from _Alice in Wonderland_.

"Who's Bruce? Is that the talking computer Pepper's always going on about?"

"No, that's JARVIS." Stark pushed away from a microscope and strode over to a computer so thin it disappeared into the glass as he blew up images with his hands to better observe them. "_That_ is Bruce." Informed Tony as he jabbed a thumb lazily over his shoulder before lapsing into a cycle of humming and mumbling that indicated his mind was working through a quandary. Cori tucked a section of fluffy black hair behind her left ear, wincing at the full-fledged pain in her left shoulder as she did so. Footsteps echoed; before Cori could turn her exhausted body to see who Bruce was, he stood in front of her. Bruce was taller than her, that much she could tell by looking at him, and had high cheekbones that descended into a perfectly round chin with a hint of square-ness about it.

He was clean shaven, pale, and clearly worried. Or intrigued. His brown eyes sparkled with too many emotions for Cori to decipher. Silver glasses reflected the above light, matching the subtle dusting of gray she could see throughout his otherwise dark hair. "Hi," Bruce smiled tentatively, aware that she'd just woken up – for the second time – and was dealing with a decent amount of pain since the sedative and morphine was nonexistent now, "I'm Bruce Banner."

"Or, as you'll know him, Dr. Banner." Added Tony cheerily as he finally pulled away from his puzzle. He returned to the microscope, clucking his tongue.

"Hi, Dr. Banner." Cori shook his hand tiredly.

"If it's alright with you I'm going to photograph the bite mark. I'm relatively sure you're the first human bitten by a Chitauri, and Tony wants to document it." Bruce searched her sleepy green eyes for understanding. Cori sighed, giving a small nod.

"Yeah, just…help me with the sleeve. Sorry…it hurts." She whispered. Without help or sheer energy, Cori didn't feel up to the task of lifting her arm above her head. When that thing bit her…man…it must've bypassed the skin and went straight for the meat! It felt worse than getting punched in a pulled muscle! Bruce hesitated for a moment.

He hadn't been directly involved with people for a while. There was contact in India, yes, but only with the sick. Only with the people who were so dilapidated they couldn't reach up to touch him. Perfectly healthy, capable, rational people touching him – or asking to be touched – was another matter entirely that made his heart gallop. It took all he had to ignore those fight or flight instincts now that he was living in Stark Tower with the other Avengers.

With the same caution that he gave his precious two-star equipment in India, Bruce helped the young woman ease her arm out of the shirt sleeve. She groaned, and the instinct to back away, to throw his hands up, nearly overwhelmed him. He had to remember he wasn't the cause of the pain; he wasn't hurting her. "We've almost got it. I know it hurts, I'm sorry…that's it, and we're out!" Smiled Bruce as he gingerly eased her arm up and out of the fabric. If he could deal with crying, starving children and diseased elders, he could deal with a competent young woman.

The Chituari's teeth created a precise ring of ruby-pink incisions inlaid over her shoulder. He made a mental note about the olfactory antiseptic remains being weak. Medicine would have to be reapplied. Those ruby-pink incisions acted as a border to a blackish-purple bruise and Bruce shook his head in pity. When the Chitauri latched on, it latched _on_.

Snapping a picture with a camera Tony supplied, Bruce set it aside in exchange for a notepad. If Ms. Henson was the first case of human-Chitauri interaction like Tony believed, it would have to be well documented. Bruce opted to sit in front of Ms. Henson, vaguely aware of her tensed shoulders – she was nervous with him being behind her, unseen. He didn't blame her; he didn't like people at his back, either.

_Subject's eyes: green._

_Age: 26 (by hospital record and personal confirmation owed to Tony Stark)._

_Hair: black. Skin: pale. Veins: highly prominent; likely owed to stress, slight dehydration, and fatigue. Type of conflict: aggressive. End result: bitten human; condensed contact area but extensive bruising, pain, and evidence of previous heavy bleeding._

_Subject is showing a decrease in range of motion and functional abilities near wound. Subject was introduced to morphine, a salve, and a sedative while in the hospital. No stitches administered. No head wounds reported despite witness testimony that subject fell back onto the concrete after confronting the Chitauri._

Wild beeping broke Bruce's train of thought. Images flashes on the computer Tony flocked to. "What is that?" Snapped Cori irritably, curiously. The beeping threatened to ignite a headache she wouldn't be able to handle for long. Without the high-flying feeling of morphine her issues – the shoulder pain, the cramps, the bleeding, the fatigue – piled up until she felt shitty in every possible way.

"These are the results of a few tests I ran after Pepper put you to sleep." Mumbled Tony as Bruce joined him. Cori slipped off the examination table, drawing up on a large scan of what looked to be her brain and a blood sample.

"What kind of tests?"

"A blood test and an MRI."

"Why'd you test my brain? There's nothing wrong with me!" Insisted Cori huffily, "I was bitten in the _shoulder_, not the brain!"

"Well, after Thor expressed concerns about the Chitauri biting you, I took it upon myself to debunk those concerns."

"What concerns? Who's Thor?"

"Thor is another house member vaguely schooled on the aliens that invaded. They're connected to the Tesseract…their DNA requires it to function, and he was worried about it having an effect on you since it had the ability to brainwash people."

"Wait, _what_?"

"Hush, Squirt. Tony's thinking," Instructed Tony as he rubbed his chin curiously.

"Don't you 'hush' me after telling me all that!" Hissed Cori as she slapped him in the shoulder. "I want answers and I want them _now_!"

"When the Chitauri bit you, saliva seeped into the wound. Its DNA mixed with your blood and has ultimately ruined the awesome implant I gave you. You know, the one that put your brain back together after the car accident? According to my computer, it's altered your brain waves. Whether you like it or not, you're not normal anymore, Squirt." Said Tony, looking at her.

At that moment Cori wished she hadn't demanded answers. Not normal anymore? Her brain didn't want to compute the information because it didn't seem likely. Didn't seem possible. "How can I not…?" Cori refused to finish the question, didn't think she could…every word she spoke caused another warning sign of crying to pop up.

'How' was the shortness of breath, 'can' cued the mental sputtering and sadness, the mortification, 'I' showcased her quivering lip, and 'not' just dropped off into a squeal-pinched sob. Tony knew the shit hit the fan when Cori pressed her palms into her eyes and bent over. Any sign of leaning over, the loss of the knees or ability to stand in general, meant hardcore bawling. "Oh god," Grunted Tony as he tucked his arms under Cori to keep her from going head-first into the lab floor. The feeling of his arms under her belly was instantly translated into a grounding force, and Tony hissed as Cori buried her fingernails into the skin of his arms.

She was tired, had been bitten in the shoulder, and was on her period. _I DON'T NEED THIS SHIT!_ Cori's mind screamed angrily. _I. JUST. CAN'T. DO. IT._

But…she had to suck it up. It was hard for her body to process that since she was stuck in the middle of a crying episode, but her mind realized that. Tony had an _arc reactor_ in his chest, and would forever rely on it. She could survive an alien bite that would heal and disappear as if the incident never happened. Her tired, hormone-crazed body demanded the cry – maybe she hadn't had a good cry in a while? – and Cori found herself staring blearily, silently at the computer twenty minutes later when it had passed.

She gazed at the computer, face contorting into a scowl and scalding glare as the minutes built up. The computer mocked her! Her mind was a rainbow of colors up there, the activity and areas easy enough to catalogue - it was easy to understand. Unlike her blood; it was specked with something continuously flashing as 'CONTAMINATED' and 'UNKNOWN'. Cori growled at the computer, as if the noise alone would undo its calculations and redefine her as normal.

As she wanted to be.

Her green eyes drifted away from the thin computer as a persistent pain flared in her mind, beating like a drum. She thought it was from staring too hard at the screen, but it wasn't going away. Coriander cupped her hands over her eyes, trying to rule out the bright environment next. When it didn't work, she quit trying to fight the pain. "Did that brain scan predict headaches because I have a hellacious one," Whined the young woman.

When she looked at the screen again, trying to make something of the many colors representing her mind, something odd happened. The colors began to disintegrate into strips like someone had dissected the picture, and then the strips began to decompose into lines upon lines of zeroes and ones. A wall of binary stood before her, ghoulish green against the sleek bluish-white screen. Her left eye felt entirely blinded by the numbers. The feeling of being blinded evolved into a fiery pain that tore through her mind and pulsating temples.

It felt like she was trying to take in too much at once. Trying to memorize too much. She couldn't look away! Binary code whizzed past her line of vision and she cried out, head pain so intense that she dove to the ground seeking reprieve from the icy floor. Banner instinctively snatched Tony from the large computer as it shuddered, fizzled, and bleated in surprise.

"Sir, I'm detecting a breach in several firewalls. What shall I do?" Inquired JARVIS as Tony and Bruce watched the contents of the computer spill out in an endless flow. Folder by folder, document by document, all of his files fought for space on the screen.

"FUCK IT BURNS!" Cried out Cori as she groaned and curled up on the floor. The numbers wouldn't go away! "AHHH!" She gnashed her teeth against her lip, "MAKE IT STOP!"

_**01010011 01110100 01100001 01110010 01101011 00100000 01010011 01101111 01101100 01110101 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 01110011 00100000 00101101 00100000 01001101 01100001 01100011 01101000 00100000 01000110 01101001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01010011 01110101 01101001 01110100 00100000 01000010 01101100 01110101 01100101 01110000 01110010 01101001 01101110 01110100 01110011 **_

_Processing…processing…_

_File transferred. File "Stark Solutions – Mach Five Blueprints" decoded._

"JARVIS, shut down all wireless computers in the lab!" Bellowed Tony.

"Right away sir."

In an instant all of the wireless computers died. Cori was left panting and sweating in a nearly lightless lab. Bruce bent down, whispering something encouraging and breathless as he helped her from the floor. The doctor in him cursed at the fact she'd gone unattended while writhing on the floor. That was not the correct procedure; anyone experiencing pain intense enough to convulse as she had, to claw at their own skin, needed to be restrained for their own safety as well as others.

"What the hell happened?" Tony demanded, as if one of them had the answer.

"Look at her eye…" Whispered Bruce as he helped her back to the examination table, somewhat hypnotized by the area around her left eye where blue veins and fatigue-related purple-black puffiness should be. Blue veins and purple-black puffiness no longer existed for her left eye. A trio of three green lines curled perfectly around her already green eye, giving it a neon edge. One line, the line in the middle, resembled a vertical 'S' block from the popular game _Tetris_ while the one to the left of it seemed strictly straight. The last line, the line to the right, was the longest and most complex.

It started near her thick, dark upper lashes and raced off to the right, running downward and snugly along the outside of her eye until attempting to curl inward, away but near the bump in the center line. Bruce presented her with a towel and Coriander blotted at her slick face. Tony frowned pensively at Coriander when the towel failed to wipe away the green around her eye. "Sit tight, Squirt," Demanded Tony as he coasted on a chair towards one of the less-advanced computers that required manual rebooting. He could still access her chip from this computer and hoped that ability gave them some insight into what just happened.

After generous clicking and typing, Tony was able to use the recording feature they'd established to better document the mice in the original experiment. This feature helped Cori get sight back in her left eye after the accident, and since it was a computer chip Tony could review what she'd seen by browsing a digital log. "You're going to see a few things pop up in your left eye but don't worry, it's just me."

"Because _you're_ who I want playing with my head," Mused Cori dryly with a snort, obviously trying to lighten the mood. She felt swallowed in fear. Felt like she couldn't dig her way out of the confusion and was just suspended, quietly suffocating in the unknown. Several sets of binary were thrown up before her left eye in quick succession and she had to close her eyes. That was enough to make her feel dizzy!

Tony gave a displeased grunt, or something Cori interpreted as an unhappy noise.

"What's wrong?" Bruce made his way to the computer and his friend.

"We're gonna have to call Mom," Said Tony before shutting down the program, closing out the windows one by one, thus giving Coriander full sight in her left eye again.

"Mom? Who's 'Mom'? Why?" Asked Cori since Tony obviously wouldn't acknowledge Bruce. What was wrong?

"Well…I was right," Tony gave her a very small, tight grin. Cori's stomach sank. That didn't sound good. "And 'Mom' is Director Fury."

"Whoa, _Director_ Fury? He sounds important. Alright Tony, you win, haha, you scare me again!" Cori huffed. Tony always liked scaring her because she was jumpy. This obviously had to be some elaborate hoax, right?

"He _is_ important," Bruce assured as Tony requested JARVIS call Fury.

"And _you_ scare _me_ actually, so you win." Tony perched crookedly against the examination table and tried to poke fun at Coriander to relax her. It wasn't working, obviously. Her eyes begged for answers and right now Tony was simply thankful that she couldn't see her own face. She'd collapsed into a crying mess once, and if she saw the intense green around her eyes, he was sure she'd do so again. He wasn't exactly wired to handle chick stuff.

"You've just compromised Stark Solutions," Explained Tony as he clapped her on the back. _Did that really warrant congratulations?_ Wondered Coriander. "But, on the other hand, I now have a walking backup disc for my projects."

"What are you saying?"

"That Chitauri bite put your brainwaves on the same level as technology, apparently. You just downloaded the contents of my main lab computer."


	3. Fury and Fear

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **You guys are AWESOME! The amount of e-mails/traffic on this story - alone - is beating out the volume on my Cherik stories!

Thanks to over the stars and mercuryfire for reviewing the second chapter (and to the people who alerted it or favorited it, of course)! The reviews were super sweet! To mercuryfire: it may be hard to visualize which is why I need to figure out how to upload an image cover just for this story. I have a picture of Cori with her newly colored left eye which may really help people get an idea of how it looks.

Introducing Hulk in this chapter, woo! Sort of, anyways. Darn, I spoiled it…

P.S: Thank you, over the stars. I was actually worried about her name coming off odd but I think having Coriander for a name is just unusual and pretty sweet.

* * *

Two: Fury and Fear

"That being said," Tony smiled brightly after his backup disc comment, "You need to get a shower. Unless your idea is warding people off by stinking, of course." He gave a small laugh. Cori frowned. She'd just broke down crying at the verdict that she would never be normal again, visually downloaded his computer, experienced crippling head pain, and endured a partial undressing for photographic reasons. Was he _really _adding the fact that she _smelled_ onto all of that? She thought running her ass off while trying to escape a murderous alien and downloading a whole computer was a _good _reason to sweat (and therefore stink).

But she knew Tony, and knew what he was trying to do. When Cori was normal and they came to visit her during her shift, they would always banter playfully. Tony didn't particularly like surprises but he liked the witty sharpness she displayed because it belied her 'I'm not totally happy but I'm getting paid for corporate enslavement' appearance, Pepper revealed. Pepper liked Cori because she gave coffee and helped her reduce Tony's enormous ego before he floated off into the atmosphere. Keeping all of that in mind, Coriander knew Tony expected her to jab back.

Problem was, Cori's mind felt impossibly quiet. Her crying had effectively snuffed any thoughts in her. All of her energy had gone into processing Tony's grim find, abandoning any other brain function as a cold wave of realization crashed down, obliterating everything in her brain. She analyzed Tony, able to form responses by considering her opponent (or friend-opponent, in this case) and his habits. Tony Stark's usual company was Pepper Potts, his favorite drink was any type of alcohol, and he was always seen wearing a suit.

His favorite self-descriptions included 'genius', 'billionaire', 'playboy' and 'philanthropist'. _Ah, and we have it…_Grinned Cori as the idea popped into her head. She may stink for the moment but Tony's embarrassment would linger for days like the scent of rotten fish in the sun. "Well, I wouldn't have had such a time downloading your lab computer if you eased up on the porn." Coriander crossed her arms over her chest, flashing confident, close-lipped smile that thinned her lips together as she raised her head victoriously. Point and match: Coriander.

Tony wasn't expecting that. Most women who'd just bawled their eyes out and received news that they weren't normal anymore tended _not_ to joke. They would rather sulk, eat ice cream, and do whatever the hell depressed women do. And yet, Coriander just made a reference to porn. _We spend too much time with this kid. She knows me_, lamented Tony as he stroked the hair on his chin in contemplation, trying to throw something together to save his pride,

_I need a drink, _Tony decided as Bruce snickered, disguising it as a cough, about the time emergency lights came on. It would take JARVIS a while to successfully restart the computers and main lighting because of the unprompted shutdown. A drink would buy Tony time to think; he could pretend to drink it and draw something together. Coriander looked sweet and naive but she had a dangerously sharp tongue to match that piercing wit. She had to have _something _to make up for her lack of commonsense and history of being intensely sheltered.

"Hey," Tony held his hands up, stepping away from her teasing. "You should be thanking me," Said Stark, "I just saved you a lot of money in subscriptions and broadened your virgin views in one take."

Coriander flushed, brain sputtering like a half-drowned person resurfacing. Damn Stark! That blew up in her face; she wasn't sure why she expected any different. The papers loved to point out Tony's history in trading off women but failed to acknowledge all of that had decreased substantially since Pepper. Of course he was used to stuff like that!

Bruce grinned, highly amused by this whole thing. He'd warmed up to Stark faster than the others because he appealed to Banner's level of intelligence, but he was still human and enjoyed watching Tony have a rare, squirming moment. Steve would love the moments of surprise, hesitation, and pouting leading up to his response. Coriander frowned childishly at Dr. Banner. Shouldn't he be on her side, technically, if he was documenting her like he would a patient?

"I'm going to get a shower," Coriander refused to drop her head in shame and defeat. She'd been defeated and embarrassed, no question, because Tony had revealed her virgin status, but she didn't have to show it. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction because then she'd make herself a Tony teasing magnet (worse than she already was, which couldn't be by much). Cori could keep her head raised and nose up in cool refusal until she left the lab.

"Wrong way, Squirt." Called Tony helpfully, voice shuddering with laughter while coming out of a mouth molded by a shit-eating grin. Cori pirouetted, leaning perfectly into the weight now focused on her upraised foot and extended toes, before walking to the right. _New plan: keep your head raised until you get out of sight_, Cori told herself as JARVIS took over directing her towards the nearest shower. She locked the door, peeling off her old-but-new sweaty clothes as JARVIS helpfully started the shower and programmed it for lukewarm water. Should she be amazed or concerned that Tony was lazy enough to wire JARVIS to start showers?

Was he really too busy to run his own shower? What could he possibly be doing? _Never mind, I don't want to know_, Cori wrinkled her nose as she stepped in and drew the curtain behind her. The ridiculously large shower was a nice ivory with polished wall tiles and depressions for sitting. It appeared to be half-spa, half-shower.

Girlish body washes and shampoos filled the many pockets, leaving Cori to wonder if Pepper was moving her stuff in or if these was just things were left behind from when she stayed late. Scrubbing her scalp with generous amounts of TRESemmé shampoo, Cori paused. This was Pepper's shampoo. Pepper's shampoo was in one of Tony's showers. Now the automatic shower starting made sense.

Suddenly she didn't want to be in the shower anymore. Cori scowled at her discovery, quickly rinsing her hair before applying a second coat to remove the grime incurred while running from Point Taken. The water stung her wound unmercifully but she couldn't very well avoid the water, not if she wanted to be clean. Her teeth were clenched so hard she would surely splinter them or try to bite her lip off to ease the pain. Evidence of tears was washed away by the downpour of lukewarm water.

Thankful Pepper stocked Nair, Cori applied it to her legs and underarms while massaging her scalp. Tony's diagnosis of eternal abnormality was a lot to take. If she didn't try to manage herself, absorb the information, she'd be an emotional wreck. Her chances of mood swings were already high, considering her period, and Cori thought that was double incentive to relax. She stepped away from the showerhead, taking comfort in the warm cocoon of steam hugging her, and indulged in silence.

She didn't know what to think, and probably never would, but right now wasn't the time to be bothered by that. Right now was shower time. Time to relax. Coriander washed off the Nair, making a note to buy Pepper a new removal sponge as she picked up a random body wash and set to scrubbing the sweaty smell from her body. Let's see Tony tease her now! If he did he'd be teasing Pepper's purchases so…ha! He was trapped!

Minutes after the conditioner settled she fluffed up her hair to erase it all. It left her hair looking windblown, tangled, and similar to Medusa while her hair was alive and lethal. Cori stole two towels, pausing – shamelessly nude – to stare in surprise at the pile of clothes waiting on her. Had Pepper bought her more? They didn't seem to be her style, noted Coriander as she unfolded a spaghetti strap tank top that seemed rather deep cut.

Seeing as how _her_ clothes were dirty and Tony swore her apartment was gone, Coriander had to take the clothes. A pair of pants and shorts had been left behind under the fresh panties and bra (which she decided to forgo after realizing the tank top was designed with padded cups), and she could only assume that's because whoever left them wasn't sure if the pants would fit. They didn't, and she reluctantly pulled on the shorts. Coriander didn't necessarily have body issues – why would she with the amount of exercise dancing demanded? – but had been raised to dress conservatively. Dancing shorts and tops were understandable, as they minimized partners accidentally catching one another by excess fabric or getting tangled up, but she hardly ever wore them outside of the dance setting.

If she ever wore shorts and tank tops it was for a lazy day. A day when she was all alone. Coriander brushed her hair out with the nearby brush, admiring how glossy and flat the water made it. Why couldn't she be born with straight hair? It slimmed her baby-fat face nicely.

Cori hung the towels before opening the door. She jumped back. "Pepper!" Exclaimed the girl as she clutched her breast, very aware of how they pressed up against her chest in the top. The instinctive clutch seemed unnecessary because of the top; they were squeezed and lifted already. Pepper Potts smiled brightly, scooping Cori up in a bear hug.

"Tony told me what happened with the computer yesterday and oh—" Pepper trailed off, hands cupped so tightly around Cori's cheeks she was in danger of making the younger girl cross-eyed and blind at the pressure. "Oh honey, you're eye!" Mourned Pepper, clucking her tongue heartbrokenly.

"What's wrong with my-?" Cori leaned back on her left foot, poking her head into the steamy bathroom. The mirror was too fogged for her to see but she could wipe away the film and see for herself.

"No, no, no! We have to—" Started Pepper, attempting to grab Cori. A graceful dancer, Cori felt Pepper wrap her arms around her and prepared herself. Cori leaned out of them, bearing down on Pepper's arms as they shivered and began to fall. When Cori had enough space she raised one leg straight, mimicking the perfect lines her grandmother and mother spent so much time stressing, until she had enough room to simply send her weight towards that upward foot and perform a quiet flip. Pepper prepared for the inevitable, sensible, hysterical reaction by jamming all ten fingers nervously between her locked teeth.

"OH MY GOD!"

"Cori, no, no Cori, c'mere!" Pepper locked her legs and raised her shoulder as Coriander tried to run out of the bathroom. Coriander couldn't pass her and Pepper took those seconds of hesitation to wrap her arms around her. In a way, this was similar to the shock of a young girl getting her first period or that one stubborn monster zit found by glancing in the mirror when first waking up. As a young woman Pepper had experienced her fair share of shocking moments; she knew this one would pass. She also knew a friend would've been good for a majority of those instances.

"It's okay," Assured Pepper, petting her hair, "you'll be fine."

"FINE?" Yelled Cori in disbelief, "I'LL BE FINE? HAVE YOU SEEN MY EYE?"

"Yes, and it was a bit surprising but you're still you, Cori. I just didn't expect those lines to be that bright."

Cori hadn't seen the lines long – she couldn't bear to look at them – but knew Pepper's shock was appropriate. Those three lines were an obnoxious neon green that lit up her normally dark emerald eyes. She felt like a computer. A monster, a freak. "I'M A FREAK!" exclaimed Cori sadly, dropping her head to Pepper's shoulder hard enough to feel her forehead ache.

Yeah, that would bruise later.

"No, honey, you're not." Soothed Pepper.

"I HAVE GREEN ON MY FACE! THAT'S NOT NORMAL!" Pepper wanted to say, 'Oh, so you haven't talked to Bruce?' but figured that would come out eventually. According to Tony, Bruce didn't like to be thrown into awkward situations. It upped his stress levels and could be a minor trigger.

"Do you have an extra eye?" Asked Pepper as she pulled away from Coriander to rest her arms warmly on her shoulders.

"No."

"More than two arms?"

"No."

"Can your nose do anything other than smell, make snot, and close up during allergy season?"

"No."

"Then you're normal." Deduced Pepper.

There was a pause. Coriander was evaluating the verbal trap she'd walked into. The questions were stupid, and simple, but somehow they made her feel better. Pepper was right…she didn't have any extra limb as a result of the Chitauri bite; deformities _could_ be worse. "And if you're _that_ worried about it," Pepper rubbed her shoulders, "we can cover it with makeup." _Maybe_, considered the woman, but didn't dare say it.

She and Coriander had gone beyond barista and customer. Coriander was – outside of work – a good listener. Pepper often found her having 'girl time' with the younger woman and enjoying it, despite the age difference. Cori was logically and emotionally older than her real age, which Pepper liked. She also liked romantic comedies and was a 'hopeless romantic' supporter; being around someone who believed so passionately in unexpected, deep, profound, unusual love gave Pepper hopes about her and Tony.

They'd even made a little saying to cheer one another up. It was a way to embrace their unique names. "C'mon now," Jested Pepper, "Who's the Coriander to my Pepper?"

"Me," Mumbled Coriander after Pepper repeated herself a few times. That sealed her fate. Pepper knew if Coriander caved to the saying, did her part, that she'd be fine. The reply of 'Me' represented a willingness to recover and overcome.

"After you meet Director Fury we'll have a girls' night and laugh at people in movies," Offered Pepper with a smile. Coriander slowly smiled.

"Can we watch _Titanic_ and make fun of Rose as she tries to wake Jack up on the door?" That was one of their favorite subjects. Rose was a well-to-do girl who metaphorically dipped her toe in the mysterious, alluring waters that was Jack. She clung to hope that Jack was alive as they both froze together, away from the wrecked _Titanic_, while trying fruitlessly to save him. When he sinks, what does she do? Finds a whistle and saves her own ass.

Okay, so maybe the plot wasn't that cut-and-dry or rude, but Pepper and Coriander liked to pretend that it was. Sometimes their frustrations were best taken out on movie characters who couldn't argue back and just _took_ the digs. Rose came from a snooty noble family, and though she could've defended Jack once she reunited with her mother, she didn't. It was like Jack never existed, and no one knew he would since he was at the bottom of the ocean. Rose, therefore, was a bitch who developed self-guilt while approaching her deathbed.

Characters and scenes like that were the perfect way to ease their stress. Coriander was looking forward to booing Rose. "Of course," Laughed Pepper as they walked down the hall towards the lab. She took comfort in the rhythmic brush of Pepper's thumb over her good shoulder. The lab was now _full _of people, and Cori nearly yelped.

She didn't know whothese people were but knew she'd been surprised. Coriander didn't like surprises and Tony knew it. Said billionaire grinned shamelessly as he wiggled his fingers at her. "Sent Pepper to get you," Tony informed nonchalantly with a half-wink, "figured it'd get you here faster."

"It's good you found out," Coriander mustered her best serious face, feeling it fall to pieces before she even set her eyebrows. Her grin was already slipping through and she hoped it mimicked Tony's fearless, perverted one. "Pepper and I thought it wasn't right to hide from you anymore."

"Pepper and I thought we should tell you that we had sex in the shower you just used." Smiled Tony wolfishly. Coriander literally felt her eye twitch. _I knew it! _She frowned. "Oh wait," Tony amended, "that's just me." He chuckled softly and wiggled his eyebrows at an obviously embarrassed Pepper. A man with light brownish-red hair chuckled before being elbowed by a woman with short, curly red hair.

"And I thought _I _should tell you my name. Director Fury, and this is my coworker Agent Hill." Cut in the man at the center of the room. He looked especially out of place, wearing solid black in the pale room. Coriander thought the trench coat, zipped undershirt, and belted pants accented his seriousness. The eye patch helped, too. "You must be Ms. Henson. Stark says you're something to see," Noted Fury.

"It appears so," Added the woman next to him; she had pretty blue eyes, short brown hair, and a similar dark attire.

"Excuse _me_?" Pepper bristled. Agent Hill's cool tone was interpreted as something dry and disapproving. Her expressionless face didn't help Pepper determine whether Cori should be offended or not. Cori knew she was odd-looking now, and took Agent Hill's comment as the first chance to ignore unintentional jabs as she adjusted to herself. Pepper Potts was taking the comment with less grace.

It was partly because she'd just made the unintentional faux pas of hurting Cori's feelings. And, like Cori suspected in a drugged stupor at the hospital, because she was her unofficial test child. No one was going to hurt her feelings!

"She's unique, like the rest of the Avengers. There are no other eyes like hers in the world, ergo, she's something to see." Explained Agent Hill. Cori blinked, not having thought of it that way. She'd spent her time condemning her new eye, not thinking of how no one else would have it.

"She's not a spectacle," Snapped Pepper, rubbing Cori's arm in case she felt offended. One thing she'd come to learn about the girl was how well she could hide. Her emotional wall was fairly thick, and fairly strong. When damaged, the pain leaked into her green eyes, and it was the only real idea anyone would have that she was hurt; Coriander didn't like talking about her problems.

"You're certainly making _yourself_ one," Spoke Agent Hill dryly, icily. She realized part of her job was putting up with irritating people but she was directly under Fury. His right-hand. This wouldn't have to be tolerated from someone who was merely an associate of the Avengers. For all intents and purposes, Pepper Potts was nothing but a bold-minded relation to Tony Stark; she had no superpower. Served no purpose to the safety of the world like the others in the room. "Trying to impress your boyfriend or get a pay raise from your boss?"

No one messes with her Pepper! She was the Pepper to her Coriander! And, at the very least, she owed Pepper something for talking her down from a potential sobbing spree. Her head pulsed with anger and irritation, quickening the more she thought about it. _Well isn't Agent Hill just a confident bitch? _Coriander curled her lips thinly, in the 'I'm not putting up with this shit' mood.

_Devices detected on Agent Hill: iPhone, SHIELD headset._

_Outside devices include: computers, centrifuge, three cell phones, and pad-locked specimen freezer._

_Link to which device?_

Cori paused. She really was like a computer, wasn't she? The girl never would've imagined being able to sense or interact with multiple pieces of technology, not after what happened earlier. It must've simply been her closeness and focus that targeted Tony's main computer.

_Agent Hill's iPhone_, thought Cori tentatively. It was infuriating to know she was the only one seeing these prompts. Surprisingly, the thought was enough for confirmation.

_Import files or view files?_ The options appeared in the form of buttons, like they would on a normal computer. _View_, Instructed Cori. Downloading is what happened with Tony's computer and she didn't need another headache.

_Link in progress…_

What she could only assume was Agent Hill's sleek, slate-gray wallpaper appeared before her. It was annoying to have only her left eye for things like this. Cori could be thankful, at least, that all of the options were neatly aligned and thin enough for her to "see" with one eye. Contacts, Options, Messages, and Call History waited patiently in her line of vision. _Open Messages_, Cori watched a picture of an envelope depress, like it had been pushed, and open up into segmented lines of white displaying the most recent messages.

Beneath all of her messages was a separate folder marked Drafts. It had a bold one in parentheses. Something was in there. _Open Drafts_, Said Cori, learning how to navigate her misfortune for the better and for mischief.

_Draft saved on June 3rd, 2012 at 7:35:49 PM. Message unsent. _

_To: Mr. Fury Nick_

_Would you maybe want to go get dinner? As work partners, of course. Figured you could use a break since the Avengers Initiative is taking a toll on you. Coulson said we found them all. It won't take much to bring them in. If it helps, I'll pay?_

"I could ask you the same," Cori crossed her arms as she tried not to let sheer disdain and amusement ruin her impending clever burn. "It's a bit hard to have that dinner date when he's busy, isn't it?"

"How _dare _you!" Hissed Maria. "There's are consequences for slander, I'll have you know!" Warned Agent Hill.

"Does one of them include your embarrassment? You can write me off all you want but you never deleted that draft in your phone." Coriander leaned against the lab table indifferently, eyebrows creased and raised in an offer for Agent Hill to challenge her again.

"Agent Hill?" Director Fury looked to her with his good eye, hands behind his back in a nonchalant but waiting pose. "Has Ms. Henson broken into your phone?"

"I…" Agent Hill ruefully fished her phone from her pants pocket. Usually it needed a security code to be unlocked but when she turned it on, her Messages screen lay in wait. It was like she'd browsed her own messages and let her phone fall asleep! But…how? Coriander was across the room, and she'd had her phone _locked_!

Hesitantly, she showed it to her boss. Nick Fury gave a quick hum. Pepper grinned devilishly, trying not to show too many teeth in order to look contained.

"Like I said," Tony shrugged, "she appears to have brainwaves on level with technology."

"Impressive." Remarked Fury in what appeared to be the only tone he knew: monotonous. "That will come in handy." He moved slightly, revealing a previously unseen briefcase as he stooped to retrieve it. Laying in the black foam interior was a gun, a magazine of bullets, a taser, a grenade, mace, and a bluish-green floppy disk. Fury pulled the thin disc from its space and held it out towards Cori. "Can you tell me what's on this?" Questioned Fury as the room watched quietly.

Cori stared at it, trying not to let her eyes stray to Fury's visible one. She didn't like being put on the spot. _Can I really do this?_, Wondered Cori nervously. _I've only done this once by accident and once by luck, or anger…whatever. It's not on…what do I do?_ She swallowed, focusing her attention on the disk. It was blue- green with a light silver square in the upper middle that hung above a larger, blank square in the center.

No help from the empty lines there!

_Okay_, Cori breathed, _focus._ She was detail-oriented and began to repeat the features of the disk in her head. The repetition and facts, coupled with her unwavering stare, caused her to go into something of a trance. Fury watched in mild amazement, refusing to give away anything with his face lest it break her concentration, as Cori's trio of lines shone a haunting neon green. In the same way that she could think and see Agent Hill's phone, she could see the network of circuits making the back of the floppy disk look computerized.

_**01000001 01110110 01100101 01101110 01100111 01100101 01110010 01110011 00100000 01001001 01101110 01101001 01110100 01101001 01100001 01110100 01101001 01110110 01100101 00100000 01010000 01101100 01100001 01101110 01110011 00101100 00100000 01010000 01110010 01101111 01110100 01101111 01100011 01101111 01101100 01110011 00101100 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01001101 01100101 01101101 01100010 01100101 01110010 01110011 00101110 **_

Processing…processing…

_File transferred. File "Avengers Initiative: Plans, Protocols, and Members" decoded._

Strangely, Cori didn't feel any pain from that experience. Maybe it was because she'd unknowingly downloaded a computer versus a disk? She understood it, and it was translated into English, but what did it mean? Coriander didn't understand…

"Well?" Fury watched the glow die down to the softer version of the neon hue he'd seen earlier when she arrived.

"It's about the Avengers...something to do with plans, protocols, and members." Answered Cori. Fury smirked. She supposed that's as close as she'd get to a real smile from him. He seemed very reserved, the 'no-nonsense' type.

"That's impressive," Conceded Agent Hill with cherry fading from her cheeks as Fury tucked the disk back in the briefcase and shut it.

"It's an advantage," Agreed Fury. "Ms. Henson…welcome to the Avengers."

"I don't get a say in this, do I?" Cori felt dwarfed and unworthy at the invitation. She didn't really _know _what the Avengers was, but knew it was something for special, talented people if Tony was in it. He was Iron Man, for god sakes! And she was…she was Coriander Henson, the girl who'd been bitten by an alien.

"You get a say," Joked Fury, "you get to say 'yes'."

It sounded like a joke but he didn't _look _like he was joking. He stared at her expectantly, and Cori began to realize the situation before her. She was being propositioned by an extremely scary-looking man. One who was allegedly involved in government, according to the brief look she had into the document on the floppy disk. Asking for her to join this…"Avengers" thing was just a nicety, obviously.

"Yes, then…" Swallowed Coriander.

"Good. Welcome to the team, Ms. Henson. Is there anything you'd like to tell me about your newfound talent?" Inquired Fury.

"Why? I mean, I don't know a lot about it myself, but—"

"SHIELD needs it on file. It wouldn't do any good to send an agent where she can't function," Replied Fury. They were going to give her work as an agent, seriously? Coriander doubted she was fit to be an agent. Physically, maybe, because of the dancing but she had no beneficial talent!

"I, uh…it burns. My head, I mean. It hurts when I read really large stuff. Smaller stuff, like that disk, seem to only hurt a bit. Sort of like a shot in the arm," Shrugged Cori. She combed back her limp, damp hair nervously. Coriander could never keep still when she was nervous. Her hands always had to be moving. Popping sounds could be heard and Coriander took a moment to wonder if Stark had gotten bored enough to play a game on the outdated computer.

Stark, to her surprise, was tolerating the meeting with folded arms and half-interest. Bruce let out a groan, hinting that he was the perpetrator. His body strained in his clothes, popping noises increasing as the fabric gave way. He roared loudly, partly in distress, and people began to scatter. Cori's ears rang painfully as the shout echoed in the closed-off room.

Wasn't that the noise she'd heard outside of Point Taken? Tony pushed Pepper out of the door before anyone else had a chance to exit. A tall, large blond man sporting dark and heavy armor followed, dragging the light-haired man that laughed at Tony's joke earlier. The redhead with short curls led a shorter blonde man with nicely parted hair out, the two taking off in a different direction than Pepper and Tony. They were heading the way of the impossibly large blonde man.

Director Fury grabbed Cori's arm after ordering Agent Hill out, nearly ripping her off her feet. Where Bruce once stood was now a towering green man at least fifteen times the size of the largest blonde man in height and muscle mass, so Cori thought. His fists were bigger than anything Cori had ever seen, and the ground shook like an earthquake had hit as he struck them against the floor. Two impressive craters, big enough to rival the holes left at televised space debris crash sites, remained as he lifted those large fists. Bits of the lab floor fell from his clenched hands as he raised them slightly.

"Banner, you need to—" Fury sucked in a breath as the large green hand sailed forward and uprooted him. He'd seen the coming blow and let go of Cori's arm, glad he did so. Banner had punched him hard enough to wind him and tear the entrance door out of the frame. Winded, he slumped against the metal sliding door as pieces of the now-cracked wall fell around him.

"Holy shit!" Breathed Coriander. _No wonder that Chitauri was out of it!_

"Not Banner!" Roared the green creature as it planted its fists back into the floor. "Hulk!"

The ground shook a bit softer than last time as he replanted his fists, but it still knocked Coriander off balance. He growled, dropping his tall frame towards the ground. Coriander felt hypnotized by those angry, curious green eyes freezing her in place. His dark, short and curly hair gave her hope that Bruce was in there, too.

Somewhere.

This green creature calling himself "Hulk" had the same high cheekbones that gave way to a round face barely squared near the jaw. He looked to have Bruce's haircut, too. She'd been so distracted trying to find Bruce in the large, green face that his moving hand went unnoticed. Before Coriander could crawl away, or scream, the large green hand scooped her up and curled tightly into a fist. Five green fingers locked around her little body, squeezing hard enough to make her light headed, and Cori felt trapped.

He brought the green hand up towards his face, giving a quick, experimental squish as he did so. Coriander saw big, dark eyebrows drop towards those green eyes. Her heart galloped. That couldn't be good! Whatever he was, he mimicked human emotion perfectly. At the moment he copied rage. Intense rage.

"Puny god…"


	4. The Perks of Being a Woman

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **You guys are super sweet! Thanks for the reviews left by cocoa85715 and the quick PM left by Dreammoon about what would've been a confusion with chapter uploading, had she not intervened. Big thanks, also to the people who are continuously alerting and liking this. It's really motivational; hey, if you really like this story leave me a review! It's the easiest way I have to connect with you guys and understand what you don't like or do like about what I'm writing.

WARNING: I'm writing Hulk in my own way so it may or may not be seen as confusing. This chapter will look a bit rocky just because I'm trying to juggle internal Hulk/Banner interactions and external Hulk/Tony/Cori interactions. If anyone gets lost, just know that I treat Bruce like the 'conscience' of Hulk or the "inner voice" while he's not in control.

**Also, minor references to sexual ideas.**

P.S: Does anyone see the icon/avatar for this story now? I realized that - for the moment - whatever picture you want has to be your profile picture. That is a glimpse of Cori with her left eye. You may have to view the larger version by going to my profile. Enjoy, guys! :)

* * *

Three: The Perks of Being a Woman

_"He killed eighty people in two days."_

_"The mindless beast makes play to be the man."_

_"I am a god, you dull creature…!"_

Bruce felt the thoughts ripping through his head, striking fast and blindingly like lightning touching down before he surrendered to the Hulk. It wasn't even an intentional surrender. Hulk simply took him by surprise and Bruce was sucked under the overwhelming wave of rage. His last conscious act as Bruce Banner was giving a warning cry and watching in relief as people began to scatter. _Good, less victims_, realized Banner before being shoved into the back of his own mind like boxes in an attic.

He felt like the conscience in his own mind and the idea was incredibly odd. Hulk was in total control now, physically and mentally. The rage seemed to act like a tangible barrier, or the glass at aquariums keeping the aquatic beasts from the people. Bruce felt like he was on the wrong side of the glass, just watching. _CATCH PUNY GOD! PUNY GOD TRY ESCAPE! _Hulk assumed, slinging his fists into the ground, the thought matching his usual angry zeal while giving Bruce the first real hint about Hulk's thought process and movement motivation.

Hulk and Banner shared memories a good majority of the time and Loki certainly left an impression on both of them. Banner, gazing through Hulk's green eyes, took a few moments to notice how Cori truly resembled him. Though nowhere near his level of evil, Coriander Henson had inky black hair currently lying flat and away from her pale face. Like Loki, her eyes were green. Underneath the emergency lights of the lab she looked about as luminescent as he did in that holding cell on the helicarrier.

Considering these things, and acknowledging that Hulk acted without thinking, Bruce figured the mistake was easy to make. Bruce could only imagine Coriander saying "…it burns." Roused a memory that triggered the Hulk. Even he couldn't help, when she made the admission, thinking back to when he'd watched Loki on the monitor in the helicarrier. It was shortly after hinting that the cell had been made for the Hulk. Despite being ripped from the controls of his own body, Bruce still shivered when he thought about the Asgardian god.

_"Ooh. It burns you to come so close. __To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."_

Bruce remembered thinking to himself, _Real power? You want to see real power? Piss me off…wait, don't worry, you're on your way_. But never said that to Loki's face. Part of him wasn't brave enough and part of him knew mouthing off was exactly what Loki wanted. Like he did with every ounce of anger, Bruce bottled it up. He didn't use anger; Hulk did.

Hulk would have his turn, especially since Fury had wanted him aboard the helicarrier to begin with. And it looked like he wanted to keep his turn going. Despite the fact he'd effectively dazed Loki in Stark Tower, Hulk held fast to who he believed was the God of Mischief. _No_, Bruce began to try to push at the wall of rage owning his mind, _you have the wrong person! Put her down! That's _Co_ri_an_der, Hulk! _To his horror he watched the green fist tighten and rise towards the Hulk's mouth and eyes.

"Puny god…" snarled Hulk, looking none too happy.

Was he going to eat her? Banner never recalled Hulk eating anyone, and certainly didn't want him to start now. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ate someone. Let alone her, a girl who hadn't done anything. A girl who was young and defenseless against him.

A girl that Tony cared about.

_Hulk, don't do this! _Pleaded Banner, hoping to sound demanding. He imagined little could startle or convince a thundering green rage giant, especially someone like him who was never really loud or forceful. _She's Tony's friend. We like Tony. _You _like Tony…you caught him as he fell from the sky, remember?_

_TO…NY? _The Hulk answered back meekly, sounding vaguely sure but mostly curious.

_Yes, Tony friend. Be good to friend. _Bruce saw a gold and crimson blur flash by the ruined lab entrance and felt himself relax. Good, Tony was on his way to help. His suit had barely gone down for repairs, and Bruce wasn't sure if it would be enough protection as he tried to talk Hulk down. As if aware of his doubts, Tony made room for Thor and Steve to enter the lab. Between the three of them, Coriander was sure to survive this, or so Bruce hoped.

_HULK BE GOOD TO…FRIEND…_

* * *

"Hey big guy, how ya doin'?" Tony edged his way towards the Hulk, suspecting that he was fighting the clock by the look of sheer pain on Coriander's face. Hulk had a pretty good grip; he vaguely remembered Hulk saving him from free-fall before blacking out completely. Without any sort of protection Coriander's bones and soft body were at his mercy. The slightest squeeze could burst organs and crack ribs like toothpicks.

"Hulk fine. Hulk catch puny god! Hulk do good!" Answered the green giant matter-of-factly before thrusting Coriander forward triumphantly. She hissed slightly after making contact with Tony's raised faceplate, a solid _thunk! _echoing softly.

"It's good your practicing," Said Tony, "But that's not Loki. Loki went home. This is Coriander. Not puny god." Informed Tony.

"Is puny god!" Insisted Hulk, thrusting her forward again. "Have dark, long hair like puny god. Eyes green like puny god. Pale like Puny god…and Banner…and Tony…and—"

"Her hair's wet. It looks different when it's dry. She won't look like Loki when it's dry." Promised Tony.

"Let us take her and dry her hair," Offered a man Coriander didn't totally recognize. He looked like a walking American flag, incorporating red, white, and blue into his uniform and large shield. A white 'A' sat in the middle of his forehead.

"You no give back!" Declared Hulk suspiciously, kicking away Captain America as he inched forward. "You want take! You no take! Hulk catch! This Hulk's!" Captain America joined Fury by the wall. Why would they want to take puny god, anyways? They didn't like him. But…they wanted him. It made Hulk's head hurt.

Weren't they happy he caught the puny god? They didn't look it. Maybe if Hulk squeezed him enough the puny god would come out and they'd see he was right all along. Coriander whimpered, wishing she could make a more masculine noise as the fist tightened around her body. Was she ashamed of it? Um, hell no!

She was being squeezed to death!

"C'mon, buddy, trust Tony. You trust Tony, don't you? Put Coriander down…"

Hulk hesitated. He trusted Tony. Banner liked Tony, and Hulk did too, but he was beginning to realize something was wrong here. They were all trying to get this warm, tiny, not-puny god creature from his hand. The last time Hulk witnessed a lot of people trying to get _one thing _away from another person was hours earlier when puny god had the glowing staff.

Therefore, since a lot of people were trying to get the warm, squishy thing from his hand, it must be important. Maybe he didn't want to give it back. Hulk couldn't think of a lot of times when he'd held anything important, much less something other people wanted. He wanted important things, too! Snorting, Hulk turned away.

"This Hulk's!" Repeated the giant.

"Banner," Warned the taller blonde as he began to swing his hammer in a large circle, generating bands of wind, "You and I are not enemies but you do not hear well, my friend. Unclench thine hand and release the young lady before I make thee do so!" _Worst thing you could do! _Screamed Bruce mentally, wanting to claw his way through the rage and find control again. Hulk didn't take threats well. In response, Hulk grabbed the whirling hammer like a toy, staked it in the ground – narrowly missing Thor's foot – and punted Thor from it. To Hulk's surprise the hammer flew from the floor and returned to its owner at the wall where he'd been sending everyone. "Bow thy head, Coriander." Commanded Thor as he swung the hammer again and flew towards Hulk's hand.

One way or another he would relinquish his hold, Thor vowed. He knew Banner would want that. Coriander ducked, pressing herself flat against the cool, green skin of the hand holding her captive. Hulk whirled around, making Coriander's world spin as he dragged her around like a rag doll. The hit landed on his back and did little but make Hulk angry.

Didn't he already say this was his? They weren't listening! Hulk grabbed the blonde man by his face, making sure to smash the chin and cheeks with his large fingers before throwing him against the wall. A satisfying _crash! _resulted and Hulk snorted, satisfied, as bits of wall rained down between the three men, bouncing off Captain America's shield. He looked back to his hand, wanting to better analyze the puny god they swore was not the puny god.

She _did_ look like him. Breathing heavily, Hulk snorted warm jets of air over his catch. He petted the black hair spilling over his clenched fist in mild curiosity; this was the cool wetness he could feel. It ran up the sides of her face towards the top of her head and Hulk knew, then, that the black wetness was hair. Tony was right…she had wet hair.

"Hair wet," Observed Hulk. If Tony was right about the hair, was he right about this not being puny god?

"Yeah, so we need to dry it." Reminded Stark. Hulk had nearly forgotten Tony was there. If puny god wasn't in his hand, then who was? Coriander stifled a squeal as Hulk sucked in a large breath and blew in her face.

_Well, it's working like a hair dryer…_Coriander thought as wind whistled past her ears and bent her back like a helpless twig in his grasp. Hulk paused, prepared to administer another breath, but lost the desire to. He laughed instead, finding a thick, fluffy mane of loosely curling hair encasing his catch's head. It looked funny on her. Her hair was big like Hulk but her face was tiny like Banner.

Coriander felt something comforting and hopeful loosen in her chest at the laugh. That laugh sounded genuine; the silly, lopsided grin Hulk displayed made her believe he could feel something other than murderous rage. Tony laughed, too, because Coriander currently looked like a cross between Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix. "See?" Tony gestured to a slightly dazed Coriander as he floated up alongside Hulk's large face, "Not puny god!"

"Different hair," Agreed Hulk.

"Also, different body. Coriander has breasts. Loki didn't."

"Breasts mean…female." Computed Hulk. He knew that much. There were differences between men and females, one of them being breasts. He and Banner had no breasts, meaning that males could not have them. If his catch had them, then she really wasn't the God of Mischief.

Banner's friends could call his catch "she" all they wanted but Hulk refused to believe them; they could be trying to trick him. Like the government did to Banner in India. Hulk decided to cautiously open his hand and check for himself. The second his hand laid flat, his catch sprung up. He jabbed a green finger into her torso to pin her down. _NO LEAVING! _His mind roared.

When she stopped trying to move Hulk brought her up to his eyes. She was awfully nice and quiet, unlike the puny god. Didn't make people angry. Listened well. Hulk stroked a big finger down her little body, feeling the clothes and skin underneath.

Starting from the top of her shirt and moving down made her skin bunch up, Hulk noticed. Why? He poked the area experimentally, watching her straps sag as the shirt was pressed upward and the cloth relaxed. Soft, squishy skin rolled beneath his finger as watched the many ways he could rub his finger across it. She really _was_ female, which meant Hulk had been wrong.

"Alright, quit feelin' me up!" Snapped the tiny thing in his hand as it leapt up and bit him on the tip of his large index finger. Hulk roared reflexively. It bit him! It BIT him! He wasn't hurt by the bite, and had barely felt it, but snatched his hand back all the same.

Banner had memories of getting bitten by animals so Hulk knew to always draw his hand back to him. Never let the biting thing have it back or else he would be bitten again. Coriander yelped as she began to descend towards the lab floor. Tony swooped upwards and caught Coriander, taking time to say, "Yeah buddy, unless they let you, or you pay them, a lot of women don't let you touch that long."

"Tony!" Hissed Coriander in disbelief. She would've smacked him if he didn't have that armor on! That was _not _what the big guy needed to be taught!

Did Tony just take his catch? That was his!

"Tony quiet!" Growled Hulk as he snatched Coriander back, missing. In that armor Tony was fast. He zoomed and zipped around Hulk just as he closed his hand around where he'd once been. He was getting angry again. "Give back!" Snarled Hulk as he quit grabbing purposefully for Cori and seized one of Tony's legs instead.

Tony was stupid and didn't protect his legs. Hulk scooped Cori back into one large hand – not realizing she was upside down – and shook Tony by the leg, turning him face down to pound his head against the lab floor a few times. That should teach him to not take his things! "Tony quiet!" Reiterated Hulk as he tossed Tony out of the lab and hauled the door back into place like it was a toy. Coriander's heart galloped in her chest as she realized that she was left alone with the giant.

Hulk sat against the returned door, putting his back to it. He lifted his hand above his head, finding it odd that she was a different way than before, and eyed the little person staring back at him with big eyes and even bigger hair. She wasn't Loki, and he'd been wrong, so Hulk needed to apologize. Banner had done that a few times to a woman he didn't like that asked a lot of questions and upset Bruce. When people apologized, they used each other's names.

Tony had said it a few times but Hulk couldn't remember it. "What name?" He asked the little woman, watching the way his breath made her hair dance.

"Coriander," Replied the girl. She was too quiet, thought Hulk, but he could hear her in the lab since the others were outside. He felt something warm hit the lab door as another thing bounced off. Hulk beat the door once as a warning.

"Name long," Hulk frowned. That may be hard to remember.

"Call me Cori," Said the girl.

"Cori." Hulk tested the name. That would be easier to say. "Cori bite Hulk. Cori not nice!"

"Cori not like being touched. Cori shy around men." Admitted the girl. And she was. She also felt stupid but didn't dare say that. Speaking with Hulk was like talking with a five-year-old.

"Banner shy because of Hulk. Why Cori shy?"

"Well, look at Cori's face." Hulk turned her upright very carefully, aware of how small and thin she was against his large fingers. A pleasant, musky smell wafted up as he readjusted her. It made Hulk slightly excited and confirmed that she was, indeed, a woman. Her scent spoke to his inner male, his primal urge, and Hulk mewled coarsely, grinning. He liked that smell.

"Hulk see green eyes. And more green." Informed the giant.

"That's why Cori shy. Too much green. Green under eyes not normal. People not like."

"Hulk like," He said quietly. Hulk was green, how could he not like green? "Hulk like green." Smiled the giant, revealing huge, white teeth. Cori laughed; he would, wouldn't he?

"That's very sweet," She patted his hand nicely since he no longer squeezed her with intent to kill. Now he held her just enough to keep her in his grip. "Not many people think it's nice."

"Other people not nice. Not meant to be nice. Call Banner and Hulk bad names when they see green skin. Hulk like smash mean people but Banner won't let." He lamented. Those people really _did _deserve to be smashed. If smashing Tony taught him to give back Hulk's catch then it should also teach those people not to be mean! Hulk wished Banner would only let him try; then he'd understand…

The door rumbled again and Hulk roared, barely silencing Thor's threat.

_"Hulk!"_ Tony's voice sounded from overhead. Coriander didn't think JARVIS could be used as a communication system. Hulk looked around wildly, trying to find his friend despite knowing they were the only two in the lab. If Tony wasn't here then where was his voice coming from? _"Hulk, it's Tony. You need to listen to your buddy, okay? You need to turn back into Bruce. Cori needs her doctor. She's bleeding. He needs to put medicine on her wound, alright?"_

_"You've done your job, soldier," _Steve's voice added, _"We now know Cori isn't Loki. You protected the building." _

"Cori bleeding?" Did he do that? Hulk didn't mean to hurt her. She was just so…_squishy_! And made that funny little noise when he tightened his hand. It was funny like her big hair, and made him feel good like that smell.

"Yeah," She lifted her dark hair and Hulk looked at the bite mark too small for him to make. A few of the puncture wounds had been reopened during the squeezing and bled slightly. The real pain was in her head from where she collided with Tony. "An alien bit me," Cori explained.

"Hulk smash aliens!" He said excitedly, barreling his hand into the ground like a talon, pockmarking the floor. The green giant could remember picking them up by their torsos, their faces, and flinging them into the air. Or just peeling them off of buildings and flying machines in general. Those flying machines were really easy to tear and crash, Hulk recalled.

"Well, one woke up and bit me when I ran away. Now I have to wait for my shoulder to get better. It hurts." Frowned Cori. It did when she moved it, anyways. The pain had only begun to return after she quit fearing for her life. _Funny how that works_, she mused.

"Banner make better." Comforted Hulk. He set Cori delicately on the examination table and stepped away. Cori watched in amazement as the green giant began to shrink into a more human form. Lean, pale legs were covered patchily by the remains of shredded pants. Those legs held up to a bare torso detailed by defined abdominals, – _Hello, handsome! _Cori couldn't help but think, as she was only human – semi-broad shoulders, and a face she knew belonged to Dr. Banner.

He staggered towards the table, flopping onto it. Banner moved slowly, appearing to be in pain and resembling people who were fighting the effects of drugs in their system. She knew that Bruce wasn't a druggie and assumed the disorientation was caused from Hulk calming down into Banner. "You okay?" Asked Coriander tentatively as she poked his nearest shoulder. The lean muscle flexed under her hand as Dr. Banner extended his arms and forced himself up into a leaning position.

His body glistened with sweat and he blinked quickly, obviously trying to focus his eyes. "I should be asking you that," Breathed Banner as his head began to clear, the rage, recede, and Hulk's experiences file away in his mind. Coriander's mouth twitched with the makings of a grin. Bruce was not amused. Before he could ask how she felt, question the extent of the damage he'd surely caused, the door flew into the back wall with a mighty crash.

The force overturned one standing table, ruined two sets of vials now dribbling colored liquid, and fractured a microscope. Bruce deciphered the hammer-shaped dent, scratches of spent bullets that had fallen on deaf ears, and scorch marks from Tony's lasers before turning around to see Thor advance courageously into the room. Steve and Tony were at his back while Hawkeye lingered behind with an arrow prepared. Thor slowly lowered his hammer. "Told you he'd calm down," Smiled Tony brightly as if they'd discussed something much less serious than Bruce holding Coriander captive.

Bruce was mortified in every possible way.

"You stay," Fury moved to the front of the group as if he were the only one in the room with Cori. He ignored the blood crusting at the back of his head and tucked the empty gun into the holster on his hip. "I've seen Banner Hulk out twice, and both times no one could talk him down. You may not think you're fit for the Avengers, Ms. Henson, but that is something to be proud of. You have talent, even if you don't think you do."

"Talking Bruce down isn't a talent," Cori folded her arms across her chest. "That's just kindness. It's talking to Bruce like he's a person, which he _is_." She emphasized, arching her eyebrows up towards her hair. Fury then turned to Stark as if Coriander didn't exist.

"I want her trained," He said, eyeing Stark in a way that made it clear the task was his responsibility. "Between the six of you, she should learn how to handle herself."

"Five," Mumbled Bruce hoarsely but sternly. "I won't endanger her again." He cut his eyes to Fury, asking him to question him. Fury half-turned to Banner, gazing over him idly.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you her doctor? She'll need medical knowledge to survive. And she needs your medical knowledge now to be ready for training tomorrow." It was too late to ask them to start now. After being attacked by a wayward Chitauri, leaving the hospital, downloading Stark's computer, and surviving an encounter with the Hulk, Coriander needed rest. He wasn't totally heartless. Bruce said nothing. "I want daily updates on her progress." Fury said before motioning for Agent Hill to follow him.

The two SHIELD operatives left the Avengers standing in the remains of the lab. Bruce felt nervous and sick knowing he'd caused the fuss. "Are you alright? Can you walk? Do you feel any pain?" Probed Bruce as he began to think of other places he could use as a temporary examination table. The lab wasn't fit for occupation until it was cleaned, and treating Cori's wounds here could unknowingly let airborne particles – like the pulverized floor debris – in and infect her.

"Yes, Dr. Banner, I'm fine." Assured Cori as she wiped absently at the blood crawling from a nick in her forehead. _So you say_, thought Bruce with a frown. Why did he get the notion she was trying to spare his feelings? Oh well...couldn't think of that right now. He was Dr. Banner first and Hulk second…or was he?

"Follow me to the kitchen please," Requested Dr. Banner as he picked gauze, ointment, bandages, and medical tape from the mess.

* * *

Coriander felt her heart ease back into place as the danger passed and she followed Dr. Banner to the kitchen. That whole experience had just been…odd. And scary. And…just odd. The logic half of her brain was the part freaking out, condemning Dr. Banner for accidentally shaving her lifespan by twenty years, and the hormonal part of her brain was intrigued.

But that was probably because the Hulk had unknowingly rubbed her nipples taut through her shirt and aroused her.

Her period made her think funny, Cori decided. But, she reasoned, Hulk had his own appeal. Not romantically, of course; scientifically. He was impossibly large and strong for someone who came from Bruce. If he could maintain Banner's intelligence he'd be the perfect soldier – smart _and_ strong.

His grip would be able to cripple people like a trash compactor.

"Turn for me?" Bruce directed, but raised his voice to make it sound like a question. Cori turned, swinging her legs to the other side of the table. She shivered as the cool antiseptic settled on her shoulder. "Sorry," Apologized Bruce, spreading it with a cotton ball to cover all the tooth marks. He fought off the idea of pushing away her hair and leaning her forward a bit to keep it off the wound as the medicine dried.

Touching her seemed wrong since Hulk had held her in his hands like a plaything moments ago. Bruce shuddered, swallowed, when he remembered how she felt.

Soft. Supple. Toned. Fragile. Panicked. Warm.

It was the first time he'd held a woman in a while, even if it wasn't the way he wanted. He could tell already having Coriander as a patient was a bad idea. Stark refused to hear his complaints, even when she was unconscious in the lab, because she'd apparently worried about the hospital trying to kill her. In Coriander's mind, Bruce began to see, anyone Stark trusted could also be trusted by her. Therefore, he became her doctor because he was trustworthy.

Bruce felt like that trustworthiness had been ruined before its infancy had even been established. "Ah, it's okay…it was only cold for a minute or two. I can't really feel it now," Shrugged Cori.

"No…" Bruce swallowed, "…about him. The Other Guy."

Cori paused. He looked extremely remorseful, and was closer than she imagined when turning around to face him. Their lips could've touched. She assumed the closeness was owed to his lack of glasses. _Must be nearsighted, _realized Cori as she vied for something to say.

"It was scary, yeah," Cori had a feeling lying would hurt more than not saying anything. Bruce looked taken aback and his eyes gleamed sadly. If he was a younger man they'd be gleaming wetly with tears of rage and disappointment. "But I wasn't one of the ones who got hurt. Not really bad, anyways, so I don't know why you're apologizing." Said Cori honestly while pinning him with eyes showing a hint of worry. He looked almost completely lost in his thoughts, whatever they were, and appeared to be venturing down a path that was dark and self-hating.

She scratched the back of her neck nervously, wondering what to say. Wondering if anything she said would even matter. "Hey," Cori shrugged again, patting him on the arm to catch his attention, "at least you got us out of the meeting. I'm tellin' you, if someone didn't do something _I _would've done something," Joked Cori. Bruce could tell she was trying to make him feel better, but didn't want to smile. She caught that and her hopeful, nervous smile shattered to pieces.

Not unlike the lab floor he partially ruined. Bruce wanted to pull out his hair and give himself a concussion. Why did this have to happen to him? _WHY_? Instead of giving in to either tempting idea, Bruce steeled himself and reached up to softly wipe away blood trailing down her forehead.

He applied ointment and administered a bandage to the miniscule wound. "The Other Guy wasn't really that bad," Revealed Cori as Banner began to methodically pull pieces of medical tape off for an occlusive dressing going over her shoulder. Bruce paused, looking up. _NOT THAT BAD? _He wanted to argue in shock, _HE'S INCREDIBLY ANGRY AND COULD'VE SQUEEZED YOU TO DEATH!_

"He reminds me of a five-year-old that's just mad because he doesn't get attention. Comes off as confused and lonely. Maybe a little hurt because all people do is run away from him."

Bruce had never thought of it that way. The Other Guy had always been considered a 'guy' as the name implied. Not a child. Banner knew what it was like to be lonely and didn't think it totally fit Hulk's description. But, then again, he'd never been incredibly angry in his childhood.

Sad, maybe, but not ceaselessly enraged like Hulk.

"Maybe," Relented Bruce. He didn't really want to talk about it.

"You don't really like him, do you?" Whispered Coriander curiously, though she already guessed the answer.

"I kind of have to get along with him," Bruce sighed as he motioned for her to turn around so he could fix the dressing. "You know, sharing the same body and all…"

"Well, if you need someone pro-Hulk, I'm you're girl." Smiled Coriander brightly. Bruce paused and she turned around to flash that grin when the kitchen area fell silent. That was sudden support, Banner noticed, trying not to fall into his suspicious survival senses that kept him from the government for years. _Okay, what's the catch? _His mind wanted to ask. Coriander felt knocked off her feet at that intrigued but piercing stare demanding she explain herself.

It turned his brown eyes dark and alluring. She was a twisted thing, wasn't she? Damn hormones! _I hate you, Mother Nature! _Scowled the girl mentally. "He likes my eye," Coriander defended. "Doesn't think I'm weird. So I'll give you – and him – that same respect."

"Oh, I see." That made much more sense than anything Bruce was considering. Though he didn't really know what he was considering since acceptance of the Hulk rarely happened. Most people feared and fled the large creature he became. But not her. Clearly he needed to check her for signs of brain damage.

He patted her back to say he was done. Coriander turned, swiveling fluidly. "So, Dr. Banner, friends?" She held out her hand. "It's clear we both have issues. Why not work them out together? I have a feeling you could teach me some things…"

"Moving a bit fast, aren't you?" Teased Tony from the doorway where the others stood curiously. Coriander flushed a deep, unmistakable red.

"I meant about _self-acceptance._" She hissed.

"Su-ure." Chuckled Tony as he milked the word as long as possible, going about showing the others stocked cabinets and explaining to Thor how the refrigerator worked. Cori began to form a smart retort but the effort dissolved when she felt a warm hand grab her own. Soft, shaking her own firmly and tenderly. Bruce smiled and bent down to whisper in her ear, away from Tony's curiously floating eyes.

"Let's start on Stark, shall we?" Joked Dr. Banner.

Coriander laughed, sending Tony's nosiness radar beeping wildly. Try as he might to discover what had her laughing, what Bruce could've possibly said, it didn't work. They were laughing too hard to answer.

_I'm going to like it here_, Cori grinned as Dr. Banner packed up the small amount of medical supplies he'd brought with him.


	5. Dancing with the Widow

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **You guys are _amazing_, I mean…HOLY….CRAP! My first Avengers story has surpassed my cherik stories (the only other highest rated thing in my traffic) in amount of story alerts. Almost in the favorites, too. Not quite in the reviews, but, hey, can't win at everything! Thanks to ThisLoveHasNoCeiling, Midnight Chamber, and rozisa for reviewing chapter four!

To ThisLoveHasNoCeiling: Seriously? I was terrified to write Hulk! I was like "_Ohmigodohmigodohmigod! _I'm used to writing huge, big-ass sentences and Hulk can't do that! What do I DO?" But I'm glad it turned out alright then, thanks for that :).

Midnight Chamber: I made you laugh? That's an accomplishment! I have a rather smart-ass, dry and sarcastic sense of humor so I'm always worried people won't interpret what I consider as humor to _be _humorous. If you review this chapter would you mind letting me know what made you laugh so I can be aware of those moments?

Oh, if I don't update tomorrow that's because I have work. After I get off I might try to whip something up but this story is very delicate. I have certain scenes I want but I'm not trying to vigorously-every-small-detail plan it out like I would my other stories. This one just…flows.

**Again, minor references to sexual ideas.**

Let me know how I'm doing (especially since I was worried about how Thor came out xD)! :)

P.S: I'm tweaking Bruce's backstory. I know his dad killed his mom. I'm just embellishing that.

* * *

Four: Dancing with the Widow

It was two in the morning. Bruce knew he needed to sleep, but couldn't. Too many things didn't make sense about Cori being able to successfully calm Hulk. Her admissions about the encounter had further thrown him for a loop, and now he didn't know what to think. If she calmed him down shouldn't that mean, by default, Hulk wouldn't be able to remember anything because his memories and actions were fueled by rage?

Normally he would answer a question in the lab but it was off limits for the time being. Bruce did the next best thing: grabbed his personal laptop, requested JARVIS put the footage on a disc, and reviewed the incident in the safety of his room. A little yellow sticky note popped up along the bottom corner of his screen. _Coriander with Natasha tomorrow for training_, said the little note. He'd nearly forgotten that he'd been the note-taker concerning their unofficial meeting on their newest member.

With his eyes burning due to subpar temporary glasses, and his head aching from lack of sleep, Bruce cut himself slack for forgetting about Coriander's training. For a moment the little note caught his attention; JARVIS' disk fell by the wayside. That meeting had been incredibly awkward. Save for Natasha, the Avengers had no women and they were all hesitant about training with a woman. They all seem to have different excuses not to train her.

_"It's not in me to hit women," Said Steve. Bruce respected that. Being frozen in ice for seventy years had a way of solidifying personal morals._

_"The young lady of which we speak seems far too delicate for our ranks. She has recently endured great pain and should not be expected to recover so quickly for Fury's wanting. Young Coriander is completely mortal, correct?" Thor questioned. Though he essentially sounded like Shakespeare come to life, he had a point. Too much stress and demand on her body wouldn't bode well for recovery._

_"She needs to push through the pain. It'll be good for her," Shrugged Natasha. Bruce couldn't tell if she was taking a 'strong female' point of view or just speaking as the only woman on the team._

_"Fury's going to be on our ass if we don't do it, so we have to." Tony pointed out, voice seeming to reign over all of them like the final decision. He had a point, too. It was a point Bruce had to respect._

_"If she can survive The Other Guy," Bruce spoke up tentatively, not really liking to use this to seal Cori's fate, "Then she can handle what we can throw at her."_

_"And," Clint slipped over with a fluid sidestep, "if all else fails, we have you. Right, Doc?"_

_"Yes," Bruce pushed his glasses up on his nose before crossing his arms. That wasn't a very certain 'yes' but it was one he was expected to give all the same._

_"Okay, so who—" Started Tony, looking around at them all._

_"I will, since I apparently live with a bunch of sissies." Intervened Natasha, holding herself up proudly. Tony's drink resumed the journey to his mouth and he sipped a potent cocktail of whiskey and coke. He tipped the glass back, extending his pointer finger as if to pin Natasha while wagging it in confirmation._

_"Fantastic, meeting disbanded!" Cheered Tony as he turned to fix himself another drink. Bruce could hardly believe it had been settled so fast. _Are you really a good choice?_ Wondered Bruce, but dare not say it. According to Clint, Natasha had to nearly concuss him in order to break Loki's hold. She didn't sound capable of the gentle start Cori would need to adjust._

_"Good thing we have you, Doc." Laughed Clint breathily as he turned away from Natasha. He was going out of his way to be quiet, and Bruce could understand why. Though they didn't have to, they chose to share a room. Bruce wouldn't want to bring on Natasha's fury in that proximity, either. Resigned, Bruce sipped the water Tony tossed him at the start of the meeting in case it ran long._

Was it a good thing? _He asked himself while making sure the sticky note with Coriander's first mentor didn't disappear as he put his laptop in sleep mode. Bruce couldn't answer that question, but with the meeting being over he now had a chance to answer his curiosities about the Hulk and Coriander. Something had to have happened there. Even Betty hadn't been able to talk Hulk down in their rare meetings. This was too odd._

And now it was time to find his answers; Bruce slipped on a pair of wireless headphones Tony welcomed him to. Bruce inserted the dark blue floppy disk, thankful that JARVIS had put only the lab footage on there. The idea of combing through hours of footage just to find one moment was too tedious and aggravating to his tired mind. He swallowed thickly, feeling his stomach drop low as Hulk knocked Fury away and targeted Cori directly. His pulse beat wildly in his neck and Bruce was thankful the Hulk had been fairly quiet since the lab accident.

If he wasn't, this would trigger him all over again. Watching the incident unfold full-screen was enough to Bruce to feel trapped in a horror movie. A horror movie he caused. Cold sweat bloomed on his forehead while his genius mind began to process what Cori had felt. Every time his pulse beat, a new wave of fear crashed through his veins. Squeezed his heart.

Bruce dabbed at his face with a glasses cloth Tony provided to apologize for the ill-fitting spectacles. This was almost too much for the man who – ninety-nine percent of the time – chose to keep himself out of such intense situations. His fear was eased when Bruce noticed near-microscopic twitches flash across the Hulk's face. It seemed their conversation – which hadn't really happened before – bled into his motions. Maybe that meant had more influence over Hulk in times of sheer rage than he first imagined.

The curiosity switch had been flipped in his mind. Bruce had been trying to calm his nerves, telling himself this was merely a recording and the true danger had passed. Between the self-talking and metaphorical switch, he eased from fear and fell into full analytical mode. Dr. Banner the Scientist wanted to know more about Hulk's psychology and motivations. A few seconds – that felt like moments – passed where Coriander was alone with the enraged Hulk.

Those seconds were full of fear for Coriander. The Hulk used those seconds to test the malleability of his catch; Bruce could only really tell the Hulk had squeezed Coriander when she made a noise. It was a cross between a mewl and a peep, but still sounded painful. Several utterances of said sound happened in the quiet of the lab before Tony charged in. Coriander didn't have enough air to make a full sound but that _noise _was captured with crystal-clear clarity.

Bruce vaguely recognized her attempts to speak as aborted whispers for help. And escaping noises of personal pain.

_"A…ah." _

_"He-hel-hp…" _

_"O…oh…"_

They were sounds of distress, obviously. But also erotic in their own odd way. Bruce shook his head, pausing the video by nearly smashing in the space bar. No, no, no, no this was _not _what he needed to be watching at two AM. This was quickly abandoning the territory of science and just entering _wrong_.

He flushed, hoping the warmth of the laptop across his legs was the cause of his erection. If not, well, he had some issues, obviously. Bruce had issues _before_ Cori. The ones concerning her were just worse, and not helping his previous ones. _You are a FORTY-FOUR-year-old MAN! _Bruce yelled to himself mentally, pressing his palms to eyes for a brief reprieve.

This was a bad idea all the way around. _But it's not_, whispered the scientist in him, _it's an opportunity to _understand. Bruce ran his hands down his face after tangling them in his hair, creasing his brows as he gradually gave in to the temptation of learning. Documenting. Understanding.

Bruce became so consumed with the scientific and educational aspect of the video that his erection withered like a deprived plant. He returned to the video. Coriander was right about Hulk being childlike. At least in this case. The way he clenched Coriander like a trophy before holding her out to Tony, the way he spoke, sounded like a kid chasing around a parent with something they obviously thought was gold.

Something they thought would please.

A pang ripped through Bruce's heart. He knew what that was like. His mother always seemed exuberant at his little accomplishments – especially the macaroni art – but not his father.

_"That looks lovely honey!" A warm smile. Glittering eyes. Gentle hugs._

_"Yeah…fantastic." Indifference. Skepticism. A piercing glance shooting above him to where his mother stood. "It's so great mommy and I are going to go talk about it in the hall!" Daddy smiled but it wasn't a real smile. Not a mommy smile._

_"Really, Brian?" Disappointment. Unhappiness. _

_"Yes, Rebecca. If you _love _it so much let's go have a talk about it!' Displeasure. Frowning._

_Bruce pretended to color in the tummy of the owl, free to make it look however he wanted now that the outline was done. He was thinking brown, black and white. Those were nice colors. His parents walked around the corner, hiding behind the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. Ever curious, Bruce _accidentally _kicked a crayon towards the back wall and went to find it._

_"This is ridiculous, Brian! He's a child! Bruce deserves to know he's done well!"_

_"You can't pretend_ everything_ he does is wonderful, Rebecca! It'll warp his sense of reality and set him up for failure!"_

_"It will _not_! He's _growing, _Brian! He's at the stage where he needs to be nurtured for healthy social development!"_

_"There's no _healthy _social development to be had in a momma's boy_…"

_"If I didn't know better, _Brian_, I'd say you were jealous of your own son!" Accused Rebecca. Bruce crawled under a chair about the time his father started talking about social development, whatever that was. No one would find him here and he could continue to listen. "Peeved because you weren't doing macaroni art before your second birthday?" Questioned Rebecca icily, throwing the question like a gauntlet._

_"No," Growled out his father, "I'm peeved because you're getting attached to him. I'm telling you, Bruce _isn't _normal! You shouldn't love him!"_

_"Well, I _do _love him Brian. He's my son! Our son. I think you've gone so far into alcoholism that you're paranoid when sober," Remarked Rebecca dryly._

_"He's no son of mine. I won't love a freak!"_

_"Then maybe you won't love your freaky wife, either, who loves your son!"_

_His father stomped away angrily. Bruce didn't know what to do. Stay or hide? Would he get in trouble if Mommy found out he'd been listening? She came in looking around the kitchen for him._

_"Bruce?" She called, trying to disguise her anger, "Come on, honey. We're going to go stay with Auntie Drake, okay?" Bruce was amazed to see his mother find him. She smiled sweetly, looking hardly angry, and slipped her arms between the maze of chairs to retrieve him._

POW!

_Mommy quit reaching for him. Bruce wished he would've known that loud noise was coming; he hated loud noises. Red painted the floor and lower wall. That was the wrong color, frowned Bruce. He was looking for his tan crayon and all he found was red._

_He wasn't looking for red and it was _everywhere_. All Bruce could do was shake, even when his father bent down to look at him. Bruce didn't say a word._

_"Who loves you now, Bruce?" Asked his father, sending puffs of smelly breath towards him. Stinky breath meant dad had been drinking again, and had maybe just started. He didn't know what drinking meant, but his mom taught him to stay away from daddy when he had smelly breath. Bruce covered his eyes as his father's face disappeared._

POW!

_And the house was quiet. Bruce spent a few minutes under the chair before running to a neighbor. He didn't know what those loud noises were but knew daddy had made quite the mess. Mommy didn't like a messy house, and sometimes when daddy made loud noises or threw things they waited with the neighbor next store. Bruce went to the neighbor's house._

_"Daddy! Mommy! POW! POW!" He exclaimed to the neighbor after crawling through her doggy door. She scooped him up, held him close, and dialed a number on the phone. Police cars with flashing lights pulled up in her yard. Bruce stayed with the neighbor as the police walked over to his house. They came back frowning._

_The neighbor held his ears closed while talking with the police. What happened? Was it a surprise? She pulled back, holding him at arm's length. "You're going to see your Auntie Drake, okay?"_

_"Okay." But it came out sounding unsure, and like 'otay' _

Bruce frowned, shaking his head. He didn't need to remember any of that. Okay, so maybe he and the Hulk were more alike than he initially assumed. Being partly human, he was bound to make mistakes. The Hulk also displayed minor attention to detail and an adult-similar suspicion as he kicked Captain America away.

That was new. Bruce paused the movie, pulling up the little yellow note. _Hulk can switch back between childishness and adult-like behavior_, wrote Bruce before playing the movie again. To Bruce's surprise, even Iron Man couldn't sway Hulk. He saw Hulk weighing what Tony said but had ultimately refused.

_Hulk displays possession issues_, Banner added to his steadily growing note. Was it because he thought finishing off Loki was his business? Or was it, simply, that Coriander hadn't gotten away like the others and Hulk didn't want her to? Thor intervened but fared no better than Captain America. Hulk seemed more comfortable with just Tony being in the room, and even explored his suggestions about disproving the fact that Cori was Loki.

As an intellectual even Banner had to laugh at Cori's natural hair. He coughed into his hand, aware he couldn't tell how loud he was being outside of the headphones. It _was _the two AM hour, after all; he had to be considerate. _Okay, Tony's not a good influence_, decided Banner as he watched Hulk determine whether or not Cori had breasts. His cock twitched again and Bruce fought the urge to slam his laptop shut.

A simple observation, the urge to understand, wouldn't coax those feelings from his body. Then again, it was Hulk's fault. He was spending entirely too much time on Coriander's breasts. The recording of Cori couldn't possibly know the anguish Banner suffered just watching a large, green finger explore her body, but he imagined she did. Relief poured over him as Cori finally defended herself and bit Hulk's finger.

Images gone. Sensation dying. So he hoped…

Banner paused the movie, zooming in. Something was going on with Hulk as he swung his arms around chasing after Tony. His nose was moving too much. Was Tony leaving a trail of pepper or something and aggravating him? Bruce played the footage slightly slower than normal, watching the sniffing resume after Tony had been thrown from the environment and the door was propped back up.

Hulk was sniffing…Coriander. She probably couldn't tell, being upside down and all, but he was _sniffing _her! He smelled her from a distance, not daring to draw his head close. Then, like the sniffing had never happened, Hulk lifted her above his head and began to talk again. His large, green nostrils flared as he turned her upright and Bruce thought the coarse mewl indicated Hulk was traveling into dangerous territory where Coriander was concerned.

The smile was disconcerting to Bruce. Did Hulk…like Coriander? _Like _like her? His alter ego's gruff mewl sent a softened wave of pleasure through him and Bruce fought it off. Having two men in his head was _not _good.

Especially when one of them was like him going through puberty all over again…while on steroids.

If Hulk had been any stupider, Bruce was sure he'd be drooling while trying to talk to Coriander. Maybe drooling _because _of her. There was a speck of camaraderie between Hulk and Coriander for their differences, and Bruce felt his heart relax. Even warm. Good, Hulk had other opinions and motivations aside from the basic male wiring.

Once Hulk willingly receded into him, the video stopped. Banner shut his laptop, trying to process what he'd seen. The genius lay against his headboard, thinking. Hulk was acting…different. Bruce had never seen him act like this with Betty, probably because of General Thunderbolt.

Could Hulk influence him? What if Hulk liked someone he didn't? Or, even worse, what if Hulk could derail Bruce's personal choices in favor of his own? "I knew having Coriander as a patient was a bad idea," Mumbled Bruce as he set his laptop aside, put the glasses on the nightstand, and clung to what few hours of sleep preceded the eight AM breakfast Tony wanted.

* * *

_"Ms. Henson, Mr. Stark requests that—"_

"MUTE, JARVIS!" Snarled Cori. Her eyes burned. She was tired. Her hips and stomach hurt because her period was at its peak and unwilling to soften up until later, it seemed. Coriander wasn't entirely sure what day she was on, or if this cycle would even be regular, because of the events that caused it.

_"I hate to impose, but Mr. Stark—"_

"MUTE, JARVIS, YOU BASTARD!"

_"If you don't quit muting me Mr. Stark will have to override the function—"_

"YOU ARE TECHNOLOGY," Cori roared angrily, ripping her head from under the pillow that couldn't separate her from JARVIS' annoying voice. "I WILL DISMANTLE YOU…when I figure out how." Her yell devolved into a whine as she obeyed the call of Stark's fine, fluffy pillows. A bed this comfortable wasn't _meant _to be unoccupied. She didn't even know if she could take JARVIS apart, anyways.

He didn't have to know that.

_"You're presence is requested in—"_

"MUTE!"

_"Mr. Stark has overridden that command for you," _Informed JARVIS in a voice that sounded suspiciously smug for a computer. _"But, as I was saying, you're expected in the kitchen."_

"ARGHHH….GRRRrrrr….mthrfker!" Cori buried her head into the pillow as she growled, relaxing helplessly into the cool and impossibly soft sheets. This was not her day. Just like yesterday wasn't. Who the hell wanted to get up this early, anyways? She was _exhausted!_

Her head felt worlds better than it had yesterday but her body felt tender and pulsing. Almost painfully soft. _Guess getting squeezed by a giant will do that to you,_ Cori scrunched up her messy hair as she peeled her eyes open. _So…early…only eight AM…shoot me…_Cori dragged the cold sheets against her panty-clad lower body and sighed. That felt good.

The feminine pain was astronomical and ridiculous, but, it was normal. She could be thankful for some normality, at least. If she hoped for any chance of functioning today an ibuprofen was required. Cori stood, ignoring the spurts of pain shooting up from within her as she brushed her hair. Her door slammed back into her wall with a crack loud enough to rival a gunshot.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Coriander jumped. She reflexively snatched up the nearest pillow and hugged it to her. Just because she was sharing a house with people didn't mean she wanted them to see her naked! Although she didn't mind Thor giving her a view; he was nicely muscled and exuded a musky male scent probably owed to the body wash he'd used. Beads of water trickled down his Asgardian form and Coriander wasn't sure to compliment him or demand an explanation.

"I get it," She hissed as her heart settled, "you guys want me up! I'm _up_!"

"Good. Make haste, Coriander! I heard a bilgesnipe!"

"What? What the hell are you-?"

"A BILGESNIPE, Coriander! Those are not kind to mortals! Even we Asgardians are wary of them!" Before Cori could protest, or explain that her obnoxious protest had likely been what he heard, Thor scooped her up. This wasn't exactly a position Cori liked to find herself in, she thought as the pillow tumbled to the ground. A man, clothed only by a towel, was carrying her over his shoulder out of harm's way. Not that there was any harm to begin with. Unless she considered the slim chance of sliding from his wet shoulder and hitting the floor.

"Thor, put me down!" Demanded Coriander.

"Fear not, Coriander! I have Mjölnir!"

"I'm in my drawers!" She exclaimed, giving up once Thor's tight hold failed to loosen. Oh well, they'd be seeing her panties come laundry day, anyways.

"Well, this works too, I guess…" Thor set her down as Tony shot her a curious look, taking a long sip of coffee. He looked put together and chipper compared to Bruce. Bruce looked a bit sleepy but mostly composed. His hair had been brushed, at the very least, but he blinked in a way that said his brain wasn't fully operational.

"You have a bilgesnipe in your building!" Claimed Thor.

"No, we don't have those here. Remember, you had this conversation with Coulson?"

"But…I heard it…" Thor swore.

"Those are the standard murderous, pained noises mortals make when roused too earlier from slumber," Pepper explained, having too much fun communicating in old English with him. Thor clutched at the fold of his towel, absorbing what she'd said. He then turned to Cori.

"I apologize, Coriander. I mistook you for a bilgesnipe. Am I forgiven?"

"Are you training me today?"

"No."

"Then yes, you are forgiven."

"There's nothing to forgive, anyways." Tony assured. "You needed to get up and eat before Natasha gets her claws in you." He wiggled his eyebrows and flexed the fingers of his empty hands like claws.

"Fangs," Corrected Clint absently, ducking slightly and grinning boyishly under Natasha's smoldering glare. "Well you _are _called the Black Widow," He defended himself. Natasha rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

_Fuck_, thought Cori, _my first day of training and they're putting me up against someone called the _Black Widow_? _Oh this was going to go swimmingly…she could already tell. Coriander rubbed at her head, feeling a headache born of fatigue and pain stretch between her temples. She stomped towards her room to throw on some clothes. "No need to be cheeky, Squirt. It's all a part of life," Tony couldn't resist the wordplay as she disappeared. Bruce instantly dropped his eyes to the nice, wooden kitchen table.

He didn't need to look at Coriander as she left (not that he was doing so purposefully). Her underwear were already burned into his brain. Tiny and lacy but simple. They were purple, a stark contrast to her black tank top from yesterday. Incredibly small, but then again she was long and thin, herself.

Thinking of her underwear had Bruce thinking of the video he'd watched earlier this morning. He recalled Hulk sniffing her, then, backing up to obey chronological order, remembered the picture she made laying in his large green hand. The quiet, silent minutes Hulk spent rubbing her bosoms, undoubtedly able to feel her racing heart under the squishy flesh. Bruce groaned, wanting to slam his head down on the table.

Pepper's folders for the day and personal phone occupied the table space across from him. She was currently fighting the blender for her smoothie. Maybe once she got back Bruce could have a conversation while pretending he wasn't a pervert. Wasn't some older man who attempted to do research but instead became aroused by his younger teammate. Technically, by his young patient.

_Way to go Ban_ner, He applauded himself mentally. Because this was healthy, right? No, not in the slightest. "I have aspirin in my purse," Said Pepper, "want me to get it?" She lounged back in the chair, smiling brightly with her smoothie in hand. It was pink, confined to a tall plastic cup. Likely strawberry-banana but Bruce couldn't debate flavor, or her offer, at the sight of it.

A glob of partially pureed strawberry lay in the middle of her settling smoothie. Until it sank into the other specks of her drink, it looked suspiciously like a nipple. Oh god, he was having delusions at the breakfast table! All signs point to trouble! "No, I, uh…I want time alone." Bruce shot up from the table, practically running away.

Pepper and the others were stunned. "Did we put him into a group setting too fast?" Asked Potts to her boyfriend and boss. Tony shrugged, sipping coffee.

"I think he's tired," Offered Steve. "He didn't look well-rested, not prepared as a man should be."

"It's hard for brilliant men to rest, but it's okay, you didn't know." Tony leaned back against the counter and smiled at the look of sheer hatred on Steve's face. That was a low blow and they both knew it.

"It's hard for newly-christened abnormal women to sleep well, too." Coriander had found another pile of clothes waiting on her. She'd really have to find out who her donor was.

"Sorry Squirt, strict schedule." Tony flashed a crooked half-frown to make it seem like he cared. She knew he was enjoying her unsightly morning behavior. What Tony didn't know is that she _never _slept well the first night in a new place. Coriander was too put off by the newness and the buried fear that something horrible would always happen and she wouldn't know where to go. Nightmares about being chased in a foreign house always ended when she took the wrong turn and died at the end of an immoveable wall.

It'd been her biggest fear since she could remember, aside from thunderstorms and getting raped.

"Stark tells me you don't eat breakfast," Natasha eyed her with similar green orbs. "Would you rather train now and get it over with or wait until later?"

"Now," Blurted Cori, unaware of what she was walking into. They didn't call Natasha 'Black Widow' because she wore black, after all. Natasha smiled and Coriander felt only a little bit better about her choice. That grin wasn't totally pitying and excited.

"Good thing Stark says the training area wasn't damaged. Follow me." Natasha led the way, her hips swaying naturally in-time with her steps as Coriander moved to a massive room stocked with hanging dummies, targets on moving tracks, punching bags, weight sets, and essentially anything else people could need to train. The center of the room was perfectly clear, and marked like a sumo ring. Against the back wall sat an exercise ball, stationary bike, and a treadmill.

"So, are you just going to see what I can do?" Wondered Cori as she tried to discern more about the quiet woman. She looked pretty but radiated an 'I take no shit and no prisoners' attitude. Coriander was unsure how safe it was to be alone in a room with this woman, who wore noting but leather. Her attire was dark enough to meld with the dark gray-light gray décor. Pairing that with the joke about the fangs, Coriander was beginning to regret her decision.

"Until I get bored." She replied.

"Then what?"

"We dance…" Grinned Natasha.

Natasha did _not _want to dance. Coriander _knew _dancing and this was _not _dancing. This was murder! Her mentor hadn't been impressed with her lack of strength and passion concerning the many exercise items. Cori simply didn't have the drive, not today.

Aside from that, she was naturally clumsy. When she didn't _want _to do something, or wasn't intrigued by it, her attention strayed. She had to _want _to do something in order to focus. Natasha was like a sergeant and demanded feats of power Coriander simply couldn't fill. In the first half-hour of training Coriander had nearly dropped a weight on her toe, been shot for not paying attention as Natasha demonstrated perfect aim with the targets Cori didn't know could move _all _around the room (including behind her), and concussed by a kick to the head.

After Natasha discovered the only things Coriander could successfully command was the balance beams and treadmill, her teaching plan had been revised. This kid was a walking _disaster_! And skittish. Didn't want to get hurt if she didn't have to. Natasha would even go far enough to assume she'd never experienced any real injury, and if she had it was treated quickly.

She'd never really learned to push through the pain. Well, she would now. Tony gave her explicit instructions before Coriander joined them about not hitting her in the eyes and mouth. Apparently Coriander had braces years ago and didn't want to go through them again. Begrudgingly, Natasha accepted.

She could teach Coriander without hitting her in the face. That still left Natasha her torso, arms, and legs. If there was _anything _Natasha had to say about Coriander, she could say she had guts. Got back up every time she knocked her down. And her evasion, when focused and prepared, was immaculate.

Coriander expressed dislike for suddenness, though, and Natasha was milking that. The girl was easy to startle and Natasha was steadily backing her into a corner with quick movements. She could see Coriander's panic – she was a deer in the headlights – as the girl struggled to compute her swiftness and react, doing so with little success. "Fight back!" Natasha insisted, surprising the girl as she quit throwing her arms out with punches to just _push _her.

"I already told you," Growled Cori, on the verge of yelling and having a damn hissy fit because she wasn't _listening_, "I can't! I don't know _how_! I'm not a fucking agent, okay?"

"You are now," Chuckled Natasha. "That 'I can't' won't cut it anymore. It's now 'I have to', so start implementing that into your attitude." She suggested. Coriander flinched as Natasha's hand darted out too fast to counteract. To her ire, Natasha simply clapped her on the cheek.

After popping her a few times, and giving her the option to escape the corner, only to tackle her once she actually tried, Natasha decided it was time for a break. She'd been straight kicking Coriander's ass for almost twenty minutes. And they'd only been in here for fifty. Hope for progress looked grim.

Coriander tried to flee the room and Natasha – without even looking – slid a bulls-eye target replica across the smooth floor. As she suspected, Coriander tripped on it and hit the floor with an audible _thud!_ that made Natasha smile. 'A' for effort, but no dice. She finished looking over the file on Cori SHIELD had provided and tossed it back to the bench, walking over to watch the girl shakily push herself up from the floor. By the looks of things she'd landed on her damaged shoulder and was experiencing a fair amount of pain.

Natasha planted the heel of her combat boot over the left end of Coriander's collarbone, forcing her to the floor. "You bitch!" Spat Cori, trying to wiggle from underneath her, "Get _off_! That's my bad shoulder!"

"You think enemies are going to do as you say?" Inquired Natasha as he dug her boot in harder.

"Bruce doesn't want me to agitate it!" Explained Coriander. It was true. Even if it wasn't, that was common knowledge. Irritating wounds only made them last longer, which she didn't need.

"Are people going to care what Bruce says? Why would they listen to a person who's not here? He can't help you…"

"Natasha-!" Snarled Coriander, feeling something tremble within her. She liked to think she was a fairly composed, quiet person. Coriander had little reason to fend for herself because she'd been the last of three girls and her sisters had left for college while she was growing up. In school she'd kept to herself and kept her head down, making enemies few and far between. When she had one, Coriander always seemed to have a larger and more intimidating friend beside her.

Therefore, few problems arose.

Just because she never had to face those problems, though, didn't mean she couldn't. Everyone was wired for 'fight or flight', even her. Right now she wanted to fight because Natasha was pissing her off. "Coriander," Addressed Natasha smoothly, a hint of laughter breaking through. It was almost cute, the way she writhed and spat and glared.

Lying beneath Natasha made Cori realize how much of a disadvantage she had. She was no trained assassin. No government agent. Just a girl who'd been shoved into the Avengers because she no longer qualified as 'normal'. Because Tony had gone out of his way to help her a few years ago and wouldn't let her disappear from sight.

"You're file says you dance," Noted Natasha. "Why not treat this like a dancing exercise?"

"Because, in no way, does dancing even remotely resemble this," Hissed Cori as she felt the boot ease up. "Dancing and murder cannot be related!" Natasha laughed.

"Maybe you're in the wrong frame of mind. Here, get up. Try again. I only really have to stop the training if you're bleeding, and you're not. You're pretty tough, Cori." Complimented Natasha as if that would inspire her temporary pupil. She wasn't lying when she said Cori was tough. "Make this worth my time," Requested Natasha as she pulled Cori up and stood still, waiting for her to move. Coriander tried to find a rhythm, tried to use the cruelly silent room as a dance studio, but couldn't. Her clumsy sidestep was predicted and responded to with a harsh kick.

Natasha's leg snapped out fiercely, like a whip, and connected with Cori's right hip. Pain ran rampant through Cori's leg and already aching lower body. The Black Widow failed to cower at her pupil's simmering glare. Coriander pirouetted, trying a different approach, and got two spins into her move before Natasha adapted to the pace of her turn and clotheslined her. Gasping for air as the pulse in her throat ebbed, Coriander grunted as Natasha sat on her.

She felt like Brie or Honey was sitting on her again. Like them, like all annoying older sisters do, Natasha began to hit her with her own hands. Coriander was just being toyed with and hated it. If Natasha was going to kick her ass seriously, she should treat her seriously, not like a child! "Natasha, Natasha stop!" Demanded Cori.

_Smack._

"What was that? I can't hear you. I hear this weird whining, though…"

_Smack. Smack._

"I said—_damnit_ Natasha!" Cori fought to get away from her own hands.

_Smack. Smack._

"THAT'S IT!" Cori leapt up, feeling her abdominal muscles clench with strength she didn't know she had. She bolted up, surprising Natasha, and slammed her head into hers. It hurt her head like hell but Coriander didn't care. Natasha leaned back slightly and Coriander took her chance, punching her in the collarbone as hard as she could while jerking her legs from beneath the woman since her balance had been disturbed. Coriander felt like she was crawling under heavy barbed wire but freed her legs from Natasha.

"You wanna dance? Let's dance!" Snapped Cori as she eyed a grinning Natasha. The _nerve_ of this woman! Her anger made her bolder but no more coordinated than she usually was without music. Anger wasn't good for focus, either, and she felt like a bull following red and always missing it. Natasha tripped her twice and socked her in the stomach once before Cori collapsed to the ground.

Curled against the cool floor, the rage softened slightly. Coriander could reevaluate her approach. _This isn't working_, She breathed heavily as perspiration trickled down her back and temples, moving towards her chest. _I need music, something bouncy, and quick, and—_

Static livened the room as the technology grumbled. It sounded like a radio being adjusted while someone searched for a station. A guitar cut in, deep and fast. Coriander recognized the beginning of the Black Eyed Peas "Pump It" and pulled herself from the floor with a grin. This would do.

Natasha looked visibly surprised by the music. She usually trained alone, in silence, where she could achieve her full potential through perfect focus. To her surprise, Cori pulled herself from the floor. Coriander was tired but looked like a totally different person; she moved with the music, a puppet on new strings, and expressed increased evasiveness. The Black Widow was proud to see that Coriander wasn't as hopeless as she assumed.

She felt like they were running around the room, playing an intense game of tag. Coriander proved to be far more acrobatic than Natasha gave her credit for. She was, too, but that wasn't making Coriander any easier to catch. Natasha was used to studying her enemies, and learning about them, but couldn't do that for Cori since all she'd seen was an incapable, clumsy girl. This Coriander was different, new, and unaccounted for.

Coriander took evading Natasha with the same pride she'd give being able to hit her. Her mentor looked visibly put off by the music. Was that a _sneer _she'd just seen? She wanted to purr with delight. The song was heavy with trumpets, yelling, and sound effects.

Far from the quiet arena Natasha had been pummeling her in. Coriander did a split, sinking to the floor and bowing forward until she resembled something of a 'Y' as Natasha dove for her. She didn't get her, of course, and tucked into a summersault to save herself. Cori flexed her torso upward and pushed off her elbows to lock her arms straight, completing the segmented backflip as she turned to face her opponent. Her style of evasion was largely based on the quick, robotic popping movements common in hip-hop.

It was working, for the moment. She'd mostly avoided Natasha. The redhead was constantly invading her space via a dive, backflip, or direct run, but Coriander had a few tricks up her sleeve. Like propelling off the wall to go over Natasha's head. Her kneecap connected with Natasha's mouth and Coriander didn't know whether to cheer or beg for her life as blood oozed from her mouth.

Now that Coriander's confidence was up, and she was actually performing well, Natasha would use the card she'd been holding onto. In this fierce mode Coriander was still predictable…just harder to hit. Like the rhythm of that annoying song, she tended to stay long-range and only approach Natasha with safe, flexible moves like flips and summersaults. Things that could be aborted and reversed quickly for safety means. Coriander's consecutive backflips – executed well enough to steam religious gymnasts – pounded rhythmically against the floor as she closed the large gap between her and Natasha.

Natasha knew from personal experiencing that many flips disoriented a person. The world, and distance, couldn't be judged clearly while in-motion. Derailing Cori's success was as easy as stepping forward. The Black Widow roped her arms around Coriander's moving body, catching her upside down and at the waist. She then threw the girl up in the air and caught her in a bear hug.

Coriander struggled to break the hold by clasping a hand on Natasha's shoulder and pushing away. Her locked arm wouldn't cave unless Natasha made it. Realizing what Coriander was trying to do, Natasha copied her. For a few moments they stayed with one arm on each other's shoulder, keeping each other at arm's length. Knowing Coriander was scrounging for something to do next, Natasha dug her thumb deeply into Coriander's collarbone.

The Black Widow had extensive pressure point knowledge and knew Coriander was currently enduring numbing pain. Her left arm was essentially useless until she removed her thumb. "Mute," Commanded Natasha. The room fell silent and Cori looked vulnerable with surprise. She ended their training session by detaching Cori from her body, punching her in the nose to do so.

"Expect the unexpected, kid." Advised Natasha as Cori's nose began to gush blood like a broken faucet.

"Bitch!" Huffed Cori, sweating and bleeding. Her nose hurt like hell!

"Nice working with you, too." Smiled Natasha in a sickly-sweet way.

* * *

"Dr. Banner?" Bruce picked his head up from his pillow. After he fled the breakfast table and tried to put his train of thought on a purer track, he'd ended up falling asleep. Odd hours did that to him. "Dr. Banner?" He grabbed the only pair of glasses available, the incorrect ones, and staggered to his bedroom door while trying to fix his hair.

"Yes?" The only person in the hall where his bedroom was located was Cori. He therefore deduced she was the one looking for him. "How did your—woah, I see!" Her nose was positively _spurting _blood. She had a wad of napkins pressed to her nose, head down into them, and her left hand was still red. "Uh, come this way." Normally Bruce would not use his room as a doctor's office but she was bleeding heavily.

It was the idea that counted since not much could be done to stop a bleeding nose. Coriander followed him, trying to find a clean spot on her napkins that could absorb the decreasing flow of blood. "If it helps," Bruce made sure to keep his eyes down to avoid any awkward thoughts, "you look well for someone who's tangled with a black widow." _Double-entendre_, he mused intelligently, _did she catch it?_ Most of his humor had to be witty and high-end to compensate for his inability to simplify.

"Oh, cute. I guess once you're well-rested you become all _kinds _of funny," Teased Cori. Bruce gave a short laugh, picking at the napkins to analyze the damage. Most of the blood was crusting, meaning Coriander had plugged her nose for the duration of the flow. He wiped the crusted blood away gently, holding her chin while trying to ignore the action that technically signified their age gap. She was twenty-six, he was forty-four, and this was nothing more than a doctor-patient relationship.

But it wasn't, was it?

"Medicine doesn't always come in labeled bottles," Bruce mumbled, more to himself than her.

"Yep," Agreed Cori. "Sometimes all you need are other people. I mean, hey, look at what the talking cure did for soldiers!" She flashed a lopsided grin.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't as quiet as he thought.

"Mmhmm…" That was a good supporting point, actually. It slightly eased the fear that all of those 'delusions' he'd been experiencing this morning were 'wrong'.

"Well, while I think the Cap will benefit you, Squirt, Dr. Banner has a better chance of helping your nose." Tony observed from the doorway. Cori furrowed her brows slightly. One, he snuck up on her and she didn't like that, two, how the hell did he always come in at the worst time? It's like he lived to mortify her!

"Is that your way of telling me I'm with the Captain tomorrow?" Guessed Cori.

Tony held his hands up in defense. "I didn't say that's who you had to be with. You get with who you want but I'd rather you not have your personal sexual moments in my nice, clean home."

"It's not _clean_ if you live in it." Retorted Cori saucily, unmoved by his raunchy comment. He'd gotten her once yesterday and he wouldn't do it again! She smiled coolly, crossing her legs to prove she was unaffected. Tony frowned, his hope for embarrassing her dashed. Oh well, hey, Dr. Banner looked a little pink.

Or was he turning green?

"Touché," He saluted her.

"Thanks for the notice," Cori bunched her hair up and twirled it into a tight bun before catching it with a hairband. She needed to cool off after getting her ass kicked. Actually…she should probably shower. No, Steve first, shower second. Tony watched her leave, looking too pleased for Bruce to like.

Clearly he was making mischief.

"Sometimes all you need are other people," Mocked Tony in a girlish voice. Banner shook his head at him. Tony was in his age group, surely, but didn't act like it. He was more prideful teenage boy than anything. "Feeling better yet, Dr. Banner?" Investigated Tony as he leaned against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin.

"In the words of The Other Guy: 'Tony quiet!'." Dr. Banner started to transfer the notes on Hulk from his computer to the log he'd kept since his transformation. Tony laughed, walking off shortly after. Once Bruce turned his mind to something, it stayed there until forcibly removed. Maybe that's why he was having a hard time forgetting Cori, forgetting what he'd witnessed on the tape. The cogs in his brain began to turn again as Banner described the Hulk's latest emersion.

_Subject (Coriander Henson) seems to be leaving a lasting impression on the Hulk, not unlike Loki. The extent of the impression is unknown, as is the severity. Will follow up on this later, maybe by my own choice._


	6. Calling in the Special Forces

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **My _lovely _modem _almost_ ruined my updating schedule by crapping out. Finished this by the skin of my teeth! Got an unexpected shift tomorrow so I may or may not be able to update. Wasn't scheduled to work but was called in. Woo!

Thanks to cocoa85715, OPRIME, and ThisLoveHasNoCeiling for reviewing. It means a lot!

At some points I felt that my writing was poor. Do you guys think I put too much in one chapter? Sometimes I feel that I do :/. I don't know…guess I'm my own worst critic, haha.

**Again, minor references to sexual ideas.**

Sorry for the wait!

* * *

Five: Calling in the Special Forces

"I just feel bad for her, is all…" Pepper frowned as she stirred sugar into her coffee. The blender had mysteriously malfunctioned. She wasn't surprised; almost everything in Tony's house was electronic and controlled by the same calculating, scanning program. Bugs would crop up every now and then, she knew, and it was probably due to the remodeling occurring on the lower floors. Restoring Stark Tower could've easily knocked something out of whack.

Pepper didn't know and didn't really care. Her consistency with eating healthier and exercising waned, anyways. The blender being destroyed was just a convenient excuse to stray from healthy choices. She was _so _ready for comfort food. Hence the coffee and honey bun.

She needed comfort food to sooth her growing doubts. Pepper could understand Tony was now thoroughly involved with this 'Avengers' stuff, and she supported him, but she was beginning to feel forgotten. It was like having that "twelve percent of a moment" they'd joked about before Coulson came knocking and sent her world whirling into uncertainty. He was expected to be a superhero now more than ever. There seemed little chance for him to be _Tony_, or to be with her.

Or was she just imagining things? He smiled at her from across the table like always, but couldn't really speak with her. At the moment they were having a discussion on Coriander and trying to convince Steve she didn't need to be woken up earlier than eight AM. Not after the beating she received yesterday. She needed to rest, and Pepper coming to her defense was the only real interaction she had with Tony.

It was weird enough sharing him with Stark Solutions. It was a whole new level of weird to share him with a team of highly skilled earth defenders and the overbearing Nick Fury. Having Coriander around was the only thing tying her sanity together. Coriander was someone she could vent to, and someone who could make her feel better when Tony seemed to busy. Pepper appreciated that, and it was because of that, that she tried to persuade antsy Steve to leave her be.

Coriander was bruised and aching on more than one level. Aside from the physical exhaustion she felt, Pepper knew there was an emotional toll decimating her. Frankly, she was amazed Coriander hadn't bowed to depression. "She's tougher than you think," Assured Natasha as she sipped orange juice, "She just looks cute and clumsy," Murmured the Black Widow.

"Cori may have endurance but she's human. She bleeds…her nose was a faucet yesterday! We need to gradually increase her physical activity, not throw her into it and see how it goes." Bruce pointed his spoon in an almost reprimanding way at Natasha. As Coriander's doctor he had the right to pull this card. He had a feeling Natasha wanted to push Coriander into another day of rigorous exercise. Exercise that she didn't need until finishing her period, at least. Banner didn't know how fit Coriander was but knew no body on earth could be alright with sudden exposure to high levels of activity.

"Noses heal, Bruce." Pointed out Natasha.

"I'll be mindful of her previous injuries as we practice today," Promised Steve.

"I think she needs a down day," Pepper picked her cup up to sip it. In doing so she could keep it eye level and cast her gaze around the table. Tony had told her once or twice that intensified the _suggestion_ that preceded it.

"She's only practiced for a _day_!" Natasha rolled her eyes. The kid didn't know real pain yet. She never would if Pepper seized every chance to lighten her load.

"Cori has to adjust emotionally, too." Defended Pepper.

"Healthy emotions can make quite the difference on performance," Admitted Steve. He remembered his heart had been in the army and training before the super soldier serum, but after he'd actually bulked up and looked the part his courage soared. His confidence charged him up endlessly and he moved with the might of twenty men versus one. It was like continuous inspiration; perpetual excitement. "You know her, Tony. What would make her happy?"

"Vanilla bean frappuccinos," Tony prattled instantly. She worked at a coffee shop for crying out loud! Or used to…he found it odd that Starbucks hadn't called looking for her but assumed Fury had something to do with that.

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream," Added Pepper. Coriander would fight someone for the last bowl if need be. When Pepper made the mistake of eating it in front of her, on purpose, using her senior status to deter Cori from getting any, she paid for it the next morning. Pepper couldn't find _anything_! Her folders and daily personal effects had been scattered about Coriander's apartment, a trail of papers and hints was the only hope Pepper had of finding her things since Coriander wouldn't speak.

She'd been an hour and a half late that day. Tony, of course, made her pay for it. Although…Pepper didn't mind.

"Bruce," Coughed Tony into his hand. Pepper laughed into her hand, disguising it in a gulp of coffee. Bruce heard it, despite that, and didn't seem amused.

"You know what makes Tony happy? Medicine he ordered to control that rash. Remember Tony, the rash?"

"Banner's got buttons!" Cackled Tony gleefully, clapping to commend Bruce for his clever retort. "But, no, seriously he's lying." Swore Tony to Pepper.

"I gathered that. I _do _see your blood work when putting together the portfolios and projections. You know the stock market…they have to know if you're going to kick the bucket to gauge your investment safety." Tony snorted contently. For a minute there he thought Pepper would've believed Bruce. Hell, he didn't do paperwork unless he had to! How was he supposed to know Pepper could see his blood work? _Note to self: don't piss off Banner_, Mused Tony.

"She like dancing, right? It was in her folder…" Natasha finished her orange juice.

"Idea!" Tony lit up. "Her dance troupe! Girls like talking to girls about their problems, right? They know how to fix 'em?"

"How do you get laid?" Wondered Natasha, hardly believing that came out of Tony's mouth.

"Forget that," Snorted Clint, "how are you considered smart?"

"Book smart, not street smart." Answered Tony quickly.

"Unless you count smart-ass…" Grinned Pepper sweetly. She could get away with comments like that because of her position with Tony.

"I do," Smiled Tony. It was one of his best features!

"You can create something while we're training," Steve suggested.

"Do I need to be present?" Questioned Banner. Coriander had a bloody nose yesterday. What would she get from Steve?

"Ooh, keeping an eye on your territory, Banner?" Teased Stark curiously. Bruce rolled his eyes. He and Tony had a love-hate relationship. Bruce loved Tony for being smart, and openly admitting that he liked the Hulk, but he hated him for constantly testing his nerves. Well, hated him a little.

Having Stark around was actually beneficial; Bruce considered it constant training. If he could keep his cool with Tony Stark then he was golden. No one else would affect him! "Saving her the trip," Informed Bruce as he washed his breakfast dishes and set them aside to dry.

"She won't need medical attention, soldier's honor." Steve offered his hand to Banner. He was a bit old fashioned – obviously – and considered handshakes and 'his word' to be good enough. Banner, always the skeptic, politely declined the handshake.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Bruce declared, "it's just better to be safe than sorry." Steve nodded, recognizing the axiom. As a soldier he could respect that. Appreciated the effort and willingness to think ahead, even. _But that's not true, is it? _Bruce asked himself. He didn't have to ask that question to know the answer.

Hulk's interaction with Captain America echoed from the depths of his mind. It was crystal clear, powerful, and fit his situation. The emotions he tried to deny concerning Coriander and Steve's training session.

_"You want take! You no take! Hulk catch! This Hulk's!"_

The digital clock built into Tony's seldom-used microwave chimed eight times. Steve perked up. "Time for training!"

"Time for his mauling," Clint ducked his head as he leaned towards Bruce. Bruce wiggled his eyebrows as if to agree. At first glance Coriander didn't seem hellish in any way, but wake her up in the morning…well, it was scary enough to make a pope swear. But, then again, Bruce wasn't used to tiny, shouting women. He liked to cultivate quiet environments for himself and keep the company of sensible, polite people in order to maintain a low heart rate.

"Take this, friend. Young Coriander is most unwelcoming during her waking." Thor had taken the time to retrieve Steve's shield and the soldier grinned, shook his head, and declined. How bad could one girl be? One that was smaller than him, no less?

"I WILL WIRE THE DOORS TO SHUT ON YOUR BALLSACK!"

Steve quickly returned to the kitchen. "Are all of your doors automatic?" He asked Tony.

"Most of them," Tony nodded. _So her threat is viable, then_, thought Steve. A wise soldier didn't go into battle unprepared. Ignoring the snickering, he plucked his shield from Thor's hand and crept back towards Coriander's room.

_Clang!_

"OW! SONOFA BITCH! My FOOT!"

"Look before you leap," Advised Steve wisely, JARVIS happy to provide audio of the confrontation. She may not be leaping, per se, but it still applied. Coriander staggered out in fresh clothes, glowering at anything in her path. People at the table included. Tony tried not to snicker as she hobbled, her right foot visibly pink. He could almost see it pulsing as she walked.

Bruce sighed, pushing the imperfect glasses up his nose. Clearly his services would be needed.

* * *

"A good solider must combat obstacles with precision and dexterity," Explained Steve as Bruce helped him navigate the controls for the moving targets. Coriander wouldn't be aiming at them but she'd be using them. He sought to train her in matters of speed as well as physicality. Watching her run through the moving targets swaying choppily three feet off the ground would be a good test of her quickness. He'd installed the hardest targets available; they wouldn't cut her but would slap on contact.

It may cause a bit of pain, or redness, but would build her tolerance.

Coriander swallowed, eyeing the swift sea of red and white. This didn't look safe. Still, if she could survive Natasha then this had to be bearable. Steve actually had a heart, so she imagined the training wouldn't be as ruthless. Cori extended her toes and ankle, angling them down into a fine point that called back to a few ballet lessons, and yelped as a target whizzed by like a guillotine.

It moved fast enough to generate a breeze. She was relatively sure her toes had been deflected. That might explain the throbbing in her big toe. "Go," Encouraged Steve, waiting patiently. Coriander ran blindly into the set of flailing targets, aiming to just make it through.

Her plan didn't work. One zipped across her thigh and she winced. Fuck, it was worse than someone winding a towel up and popping her! She held that leg up, unknowingly in the path of a waiting target, and growled as it connected with her kneecap. The more she tried to focus and avoid oncoming targets, the more vulnerable she was to the ones behind her.

Coriander came to two conclusions about her pitiful attempt at Steve's curriculum: there were more targets than she thought or they weren't wired for predictability. With Bruce manning the controls, she was sure it was the latter. But…would he do that to her? Surely not, right? Not all men were evil…or were they?

"Go, Cori! This may be an exercise but you can't hesitate in battle."

"I'm not in battle!" She reminded, finally realizing something Steve hadn't covered. He said she had to get past the targets; nothing was said about her going _around_. Bruce laughed, cracking the biggest, brightest grin as he came to the same conclusion about the loophole.

"No, no Coriander!" Admonished Steve, "That's not what you do! You go _through_." He positioned his hands like a tunnel and moved them smoothly, representing the appropriate course of action. Coriander grinned, standing on the opposite side of the targets. Her legs were eaten up with red welts that made her look diseased, but she'd cleared his obstacle. "New plan," Steve combed his fingers through his hair, "stop the targets please, Dr. Banner." The racing targets stilled instantly. Steve hauled nearly a dozen punching bags from a utility closet hidden in the wall; Coriander hadn't seen it since it was painted to blend in.

She frowned. Steve had hung the bags in uniform lines, effectively creating an impassable border. Well, wasn't he just a smart cookie? Coriander snorted, crossing her arms. His blue eyes were gorgeous; a bit smug but kind.

That look also said she knew what was coming next. Doing his exercise the _right _way. Bruce tried not to laugh, keeping his head down as he toyed with a small medical kit. The idea dawned on him to bring Coriander's file, also, in order to assess her physical ability. According to SHIELD's file she hadn't had a physical exam this year.

Since Steve was a soldier, and set in his ways, Bruce figured this would count. He pretended to be interested in said folder and not look up past the horrible loaner glasses. Watching Coriander weave uncoordinatedly through the speedy targets was like playing _Frogger_. Cori was simply stuck trying to eke through endless traffic. At times she wobbled on the back of her heels; occasionally she would rush forward only to see an approaching target and hang over it like a nervous thief above a motion sensor.

It was all amusing, regardless of what she did. Coriander made it through at last. Panting, bruised worse than before, she huffed to Steve as if to ask if he approved. Steve smiled brightly. "Good, now that you've got your blood flowing we can exercise!" Grinned the Captain as he clenched his fist enthusiastically.

Cori wanted to collapse. Did he not _understand_? She was sure everything below her hips would just liquefy and soak into the ground any minute now. "Exercise?" Puffed Cori in shock, fanning herself. Bruce told himself he was deducing her heart rate from the beads of sweat pouring down towards her chest while determining swiftness of blood flow via her flushed cheeks.

If he happened to notice the way her rolled up tank top clung to her body, then so be it. He was simply observant. Bruce licked his lips, aware of the bright lighting that threatened to transform the minor irritation of his temporary glasses into a worthy headache. _Have to focus_, Bruce corrected his posture, clicked the pen against the papers, and blinked to refocus. "Coming, Dr. Banner?" Steve looked over to him, taking the proper stance for a pushup.

"Yes," Bruce reluctantly gathered the folder and joined them on the floor, sitting cross-legged. He was the note-taker that would compare Coriander's pushups and sit-ups to the national standard that had been set for women in her age group. His watch was also the mechanism timing her; Steve couldn't continue without him.

"Alright, Cori. Pushups first and—what are you doing?" Steve leaned back on his knees, looking at Coriander as if she'd just stripped naked and ran around like a mental patient instead of adopting a pushup pose.

"Um," Coriander faltered, trying to juggle focusing, posture, talking, and keeping the various muscles of her body clenched. "Getting ready for pushups?"

"That is _not _how you do a pushup." Leave it to Steve to be a perfectionist. He had been in the army, of course. "You're getting ready for back pain is what you're doing." He warned.

"Already there." Assured Coriander.

"May I?"

"May you what?" Coriander arched herself up like a bow to look at Steve through her legs. She was making herself look like a fool to irritate him. It was just too fun to pass up. Steve, while polite, was an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist determined to do everything correctly. Even teach (despite rowdy pupils).

"Readjust you. Your stance, I mean."

_Red flag, red flag! _Bruce's mind hollered. That was his cue to leave. His mind was straying into dangerous territory and visual aids were not required, nor would they help him from that place. He really was a hopeless old man, wasn't he? His intelligence and natural ability to "see" was to blame, or so he told himself.

In his mind Coriander and Steve were a logical couple. Because he'd been frozen in ice Steve was closer to her age. They were both lean, taut, and attractive. Steve, being a soldier, was wired for endurance. He posed no danger in the bedroom, and was free to explore whatever urges he may get. _Unlike myself,_ frowned Bruce.

Steve adjusted Coriander methodically, starting with the positioning of her feet and working his way up. Bruce swallowed thickly when he reached her hips. His heart started hammering. He really was nothing better than a pining old man. An imaginative old man.

A helpless old man.

_"Oh Steve! Oh yes, Steve!" His broad, gentle hands gripped her hips with a firmness that was only rivaled by the deep strokes into his younger lover's pert ass. They were the perfect picture of young bodies caught in the throes of passion. Sweat dripped from their indiscernible, melded bodies._

No, no it wasn't like that! His pulse quickened. But it could be…might as well be. Society would demolish him the second he considered being with her. Descriptions like "pervert" came to mind.

"Ready to count Bruce?"

"Y-yeah." How is it brilliance always led to overactive imaginations?

"Alright, Cori, the minimum is fifty-eight. Think you can do it?"

"If not, I have a doctor nearby, so I'm okay." Cori grinned at Bruce, wiggling her eyebrows. She did sixty-seven and needed a break afterwards. Steve let her lay down because the next exercise was sit-ups. Coriander panted, feeling her aching abdominal muscles shudder as she breathed. "Bruce," Whispered Coriander as Steve began to take down the punching bags from earlier, "save me…he's gonna kill me…"

"Steve's lenient. Do this last activity and I'm sure he'll let you go." Persuaded Bruce. As her doctor he realized that he had the power to excuse her. The scientist in him, the adult in him, refused to do that. If he did it one time, she might ask him again. Favors made a treacherous slippery slope that was seldom easy to climb back up.

"Bru-uuce!" Whined Coriander, throwing her arm over her eyes.

"You'll be rewarded at the end," Steve swore. Coriander was unaware of Pepper's plan to reunite her with her troupe. "The minimum for sit-ups is sixty-seven. Got it in you?"

"Hell no," Moaned Cori. She wasn't going to lie.

"Okay, well…give me twenty and we'll go from there." Offered Steve, pressing his hands down on her tennis shoes. Giving another groan, Cori started.

_Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump_, the pounding in Bruce's neck had drifted to his head. Steve leaning over Coriander, pressing her feet to the ground, sent his mind reeling again.

_He eased her legs apart, listening to his heart pound in his ears. The workout had been rigorous but the reward was well worth the sweat. The pain. She was largely spent, but trusting. Her trainer could do no wrong, and he reveled in that fact as he tucked his calloused fingers around the waistband of her shorts._

_Kissing her aching thighs, he disposed of the only barrier between them. Her body went rigid as he slowly delved into her; she experienced quick, relentless spurts of pleasure as he meticulously maneuvered his tongue. A sweet reward indeed._

Bruce jolted awake at the stab of pain in his finger. Blue-black ink stained his hand, bleeding out from his crushed pen. Coriander and Steve eyed him warily, unsure of what to do. "You should go wash up for your surprise," Advised Steve. Coriander pushed herself from the floor, walking past Bruce while looking back several times before exiting.

_"THIS HULK'S!"_

"Dr. Banner, are you okay?"

"It's the glasses…" Groaned Bruce.

"Are you—?"

"GLASSES!" He felt pain shoot through his arm, muscles twitching crazily. No, no he was better than this. This could be overcome. Bruce thought back to all of the meditation he'd practiced, folding into a lotus position. Steve had left him alone minutes ago, knowing he needed space.

* * *

"SURPRISE!" Coriander jumped, throwing her arms around Pepper. She'd been told they were coming to Starbucks for her missed paycheck but received a shock. Her fellow dancers and instructors from Point Taken were waiting inside the vacant coffee shop. They had little party hats and threw handfuls of confetti while blowing through small, shiny noisemakers. Arms engulfed her and Coriander fell nervously into their hold.

Why weren't the yelling? Running away? Didn't her eye repulse them?

"Guys, hold on now…look at me!" Coriander pulled away from the mob, dropping the hoodie she'd borrowed from Pepper. It felt two sizes too big but covered her well. Cloaked her like shame and fear.

"We are!" Smiled Faith as she clinked vanilla bean frappuccinos with her friend.

"Isn't my eye, you know, ugly?"

"Who cares about your eye?" Laughed Carmen with snort, "You survived an _alien!"_

"Your eye is sexy!" Natalie shimmied her chest and put on her best sultry voice to convince her friend. Coriander snorted because it was utterly ridiculous, fake, and hilarious.

"Totally _Alien Versus Predator _meets boobs," Claimed Alexandra. Pepper chuckled, squeezing Cori's shoulders supportively. See? Time outside was going well!

"In light of your survival we'd like to welcome you back to Point Taken." Ms. Lovell clinked cups with Coriander.

"And invite you to lead the tributary show," Mrs. Greenwald smirked. Coriander felt her heart stop. Did Mrs. Greenwald just say _lead_? Ho…ly…shit.

"Tri…huh? What?"

"We've decided to do a tributary show this year," Informed Faith. "You know, since those aliens tried to invade and didn't win?"

"We wanna honor the guys with the _cajones _to stand up to them so we're making a show about a couple who fell in love pre-invasion and splits up before the aliens hit." Added Carmen.

"Then, like star-crossed lovers, they fight to find each other again!" Finished Faith, eyes twinkling.

"That sounds cute!" Pepper complimented. "You know what would really geek you up for it though?"

"Energy drinks?" Smirked Carmen smartly. Pepper resisted rolling her eyes. She didn't know these girls like she did Cori.

"No, meeting the real thing. The real heroes, I mean."

"SLUMBER PARTY!" Squealed Faith excitedly.

"Ooh, Pe_pper_!" Sang Cori, "Tony's gonna _kill _youuuu…."

"I'll have Bruce make up something about how it's good for you. Social healing and whatnot…" Pepper waved Coriander off, taking her by the hand to where the limo was waiting. The girls were equally excited to ride in a limo.

"Who's Bruce?" Asked Alexandra as Pepper scribbled down their addresses and handed the paper to the driver.

"Cori's doctor," Replied Pepper.

"Ooh! _Doc_tor!" Chorused the girls, making Coriander flush a deep red.

"Is he cute?"

"How old is he?"

"Does he have a brother?"

Maybe Pepper's idea about friends helping went a bit too far. Coriander was sure only trouble could come from Stark Tower housing twelve more girls, even if it was only for one night. Well, on the bright side, the night wouldn't be dull!


	7. With a Flash and a Bang

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to kitten2437, Ox King, tbonegirl28, LuCkY-StAr69, Misplaced Levity, and Me and Gaara 4ever for reviewing the last chapter. I tried to get this one up last night but it ran super long. I realize I'm not leaving a lot of time between updates for everyone to catch up but…I'm excited xD. I can't help it! Frankly, I'm surprised Fanfiction hasn't taken this story down. A few times I feel I've crossed the 'M to MA' line they haven't had in about a decade.

As always, let me know how I'm doing!

* * *

Six: With a Flash and a Bang

Coriander was severely regretting the sleepover now. Well, maybe not _severely_, but enough to wish _this _hadn't happened. She stood in the hallway, banished from her locked room due to the giggling hoard of girls inside. They intended for her to find Bruce now that her makeover had been finished. Thankfully they'd done nothing as dramatic or heavy as they would on dance nights.

She was simply…dressed up, but it felt too much for the girl who hardly bothered with makeup. She was simply tip-toing through the halls during eleven at night, wary of the snoring house members. Coriander could hardly believe they'd wasted six hours and laughed well into the nighttime. Imagining that the night would turn out like this was also a stretch; it had started so harmless and energetically. They took turns riding Steve's shield like a sled through the polished halls, tried to see which teams of three could balance on Thor's arms the longest, and jousted with Clint's arrows before he took them away.

When Denise Fontaine wouldn't surrender the arrow she intended to use as a saber, Natasha stepped in. Clint, a gentleman, wouldn't wrestle a girl. A few others, like Carmen, jumped at the chance to wrestle. Coriander was happy enough to sit that one out – she wasn't stupid, she'd trained with that woman! – and watch. Tony was highly amused, and Clint grinned while mumbling something about her lethal venom and expertise.

The comment hinted at Natasha's alias, which they knew, and had prompted a 'cheesy compliment' discussion in the safety of Coriander's room. Fueled by ice cream and guarded by Pepper, they were free to talk. Their conversation drifted from 'cheesy compliments' to 'worst pickup lines'. Pepper offered up a few (all pre-Tony) before steering the conversation into a more adult avenue: worst hookups. Coriander had little to contribute; she'd dated her first boyfriend at the age of sixteen and hadn't really tried for anyone else after they broke up two years later.

About the time she considered dating again, the car crash happened. The physical therapy had been demanding, in itself. Asking someone to love through that was nearly impossible when considering that fast-paced life people wanted to live. No one wanted to wait for love anymore; they wanted pleasure. To Coriander's surprise Faith Bennewitz – mousy, quiet, harmless, allegedly innocent Faith Bennewitz – initiated the next round of gossip by shyly commenting that any of the Avengers would be a far better hookup than any of the dismal ones they'd shared.

They unanimously agreed on that. Pepper stole the spotlight following the stints of adoration on the Avengers and their abilities; the girls wanted to know what it was like to date Tony Stark. How him being Iron Man affected the relationship, if at all. Girlish noises of pity and joy that could put a trained live audience to shame were heard throughout Pepper's rambling. "While it's good," She'd said, "it could be better."

Then, somehow, suddenly, the conversation had turned to Bruce. Her and Bruce, specifically. Speculative purrs about their status seemed endless. Coriander didn't think _that _many dirty jokes could be made using medical equipment and checkups but they blew that misconception out of the water. Carmen was mostly to blame for that.

Coriander denied everything. Ab_so_lutely everything. While Coriander could speak for herself, she couldn't speak for Bruce. She chose to say nothing at all. Anything she did say could be misinterpreted and get back to Bruce. That would make him being her doctor incredibly awkward.

The only thing she _could _say on Bruce was that he was a sweet gentleman. And kind of cute for an older guy with glasses. She quickly explained the cute as a 'nerdy cute' that would put others in her boat because she wasn't the only one with an appreciation for nerds. If more people were in her boat she could disappear from their radar. Pepper excused herself shortly after, saying she needed to get to bed for work tomorrow and requested that they turn in by midnight because Coriander had training with Thor tomorrow.

Because she was getting trained for SHIELD purposes, the real reason for training could not be divulged. Coriander threw together some face-saving lie about wanting to be trained like a superhero in order to understand their minds and the dedication required of being heroic. They swore makeovers would be the last item of the night before turning in. Despite her protest, they dragged out pounds of makeup to apply. Carmen, headstrong and opinionated, said Coriander was getting a makeover whether she liked it or not because her move was awful.

On the contrary, Coriander felt the happiest she had since discovering her new eye. Her new abilities. However, Carmen was right in saying that her mood was awful. Cori didn't think she'd ever get back to where she'd been as far as self-confidence was concerned. The Avengers were helping her open up again, helping her realize that oddities didn't necessarily mean social suicide, but external approval was nothing without internal approval.

While Coriander could feel victorious about some things – like surviving Natasha's training – she couldn't feel that way about everything. When she looked at her face in the morning her stomach dropped. As always, the disappointing acknowledgement of that _thing _on her face broke her heart. Her heart was partially mended by the quiet, giddy sensation of being pampered. Just being with her friends had helped tremendously, but feeling beautiful again was also amazing.

Pepper convincing her to go to Starbucks was the first outing she'd had since being bitten. Coriander had felt nothing but fear then. Now, though….now she felt beautiful. Unstoppable. Normal.

"Beautiful!"

"Sexy!"

"Nighttime approved!"

"Alright, alright, alright," Cori shushed them while collecting empty bowls coated with chocolate sauce, remains of whipped cream, and dried oddments of ice cream, "keep it down guys."

"Sorry," They chorused.

"It's okay. And…hey, thanks…" Coriander barely resisted from touching under her left eye. She wondered how thickly the makeup had been applied and whether or not the green could still be seen. The hallways were dimly lit and Coriander moved softly through them, mindful of her silk gown whispering as she walked. Something long, simple, and cool would keep her covered while creating few problems when she prepared to sleep. In the time it took for her to put the dishes in the dishwasher and return to the bedroom, her door had been locked.

A note had been hastily written and signed by all of the girls giggling at her as she jiggled the handle.

_Time to get a checkup! ;)_

Beneath it, between different musical notes, were lyrics to the popular song "Bad Case of Loving You" by Robert Palmer.

_Doctor, doctor give me the news. I've got a bad case of loving you!_

Coriander snorted, tearing the paper off the door. That was the _last _thing anyone needed to see. Especially Tony. She balled it up tightly in her hands, wishing everyone was still awake so she could send it down the food disposal instead of putting it in the kitchen trash. "Is it safe to come out?" Bruce tried to joke but couldn't because he had a viable reason for wanting to maintain isolation.

"Yeah," Smiled Cori. She tossed the paper in the trashcan before pulling out a chair and sitting in it. The dim lighting was nice and persuasive as it tried to drag her tired mind towards sleep. Bruce set his dishes in the sink before he dropped them. Tony had turned in with Pepper shortly before ten, Steve had gone to bed at nine to keep his internal clock functioning, and Thor was snoring loud enough to cause an avalanche since he'd almost eaten his weight in appetizers.

Natasha and Clint had turned in a half-hour ago. Clint wasn't ready to sleep but Natasha said she was locking the door if he didn't retire when she did. Bruce doubted that was the _real _reason, but wouldn't question her. When a person was in love – denial or not, and it was denial in Natasha's case, or reluctance – they did crazy things. Made odd demands and found pleasure in simpler moments single people wouldn't.

This was Bruce's moment. Single people could think of a million things to be doing during eleven at night, especially in Manhattan, but he couldn't. This was enough. Most would consider dim lighting inconvenient but right now it was perfect. The dim lights cast a glow resembling sparse candles saved for an intimate occasion.

Her green eyes twinkled with that light. Twinkled with her defining left eye markings. Bruce felt dumbfounded as he gazed at Coriander; starlight seemed trapped in her eyes. If that was the case, he couldn't look away. Stars on earth were rare.

She was dressed for sleep in a pine-green silk nightgown, further enforcing the idea of intimacy in Bruce's mind. Her makeup was natural and light; done well enough for Bruce to believe she wore none and was ready to turn in at any moment. Bands of light played along the gown and Bruce found himself analyzing the stitching, the simple make of her clothes. Found himself admiring how her bosoms looked softly supported and yet not totally defined because of the flowing fabric. He almost felt like he shouldn't look at her. Sitting was a simple thing, but sitting in silk was a simple thing void of innocent connotations.

Cori didn't move, and sat with perfect posture. As a result, the fabric lay over her lithe body. Bruce could see the outline of her toned stomach and could tell her knees were together beneath the gown because of the lines. In a moment where he and Hulk blended as one, his mouth watered. His cock pulsed and stiffened with blood.

_Good thing it's dark_, Bruce smiled a soft smile that could pass as relief. The girls were quiet, after all. Less chance for him to be stressed or aggravated and expose them to the Hulk. "Escaping the troupe?" Wondered Bruce as he sat across from her to avoid a loud conversation.

"They locked me out." Informed Coriander, dropping her chin into her palm with a small smile. "Don't ask. They're just…nuts." Said Coriander, able to see Bruce opening his mouth. He closed it, arching his eyebrows as if to tell her she'd answered him correctly.

"Where are you sleeping, then?" Inquired Bruce.

"I 'unno," Shrugged Coriander. "On the couch, maybe."

"Wouldn't recommend it." Bruce thinned his lips at her, frowning a bit. _Because I want you in my bed…I want to feel contact_, added Bruce in his mind. If Hulk liked her, trusted her, then Bruce could too. It meant Hulk would let her get close. Meant he wouldn't have _as much _to fear about easing back into female interactions.

"Why?"

"Tony and Steve had incredibly odd bathrooms hours. You can hear the toilet from the left hall in the living room," Explained Bruce. Coriander didn't know that. She could only imagine Bruce had odd sleeping hours or he wouldn't, either.

"How did you know about their-?"

"My room was next to the bathroom on the helicarrier."

"What's the helicarrier?"

"Tony never told you?"

"Nope."

"Oh, well, I'd be happy to enlighten you if you want."

"Sure, we can kill time. They'll get tired and unlock the door eventually," Grinned Coriander, feeling quite clever.

Bruce was thankful for the work desk Tony had squeezed into his room. It was small; there was hardly room for anything more than a cup of pencils, his papers, and a desk lamp. Despite its size it was still a desk and all desks needed chairs. That chair prevented them from having an awkward moment of sitting on his bed as friends in the dark of night. In the soft lighting, in simple clothes that were easy to discard…

Bruce started about the helicarrier at eleven fifteen. He'd gone beyond that by eleven thirty. The conversation went from the helicarrier, to Loki because Coriander didn't know much about him, back to Natasha's attempt to retrieve him from India, and stayed on India. Coriander had hardly ever traveled; she lived in Georgia, visited her grandparents in Florida twice a year, and had moved to New York for college. India was uncharted and mystical; Bruce smiled sleepily at the amazement in her eyes as she continued to pepper him with questions he didn't mind answering.

Her curiosity was different from Betty's, from everyone else's that made him hate questions. Usually people just asked him about the Hulk, his sanity, and how big of a danger he posed. Coriander didn't want to know – or didn't care to know, he wasn't sure which – any of that. She just wanted to know what he'd done. Their conversation about India ran long enough for him to dig up a few souvenirs he'd transferred to the helicarrier.

It was mostly notes about the culture or information about plants that could treat illnesses but there were other things, too. Bruce had started a language journal and saved a few rupees for his collection. Because he shared a body with the Hulk, he constantly had to travel in order to avoid the government. Not that it worked, of course, but it had helped him explore the world as he always wanted. Memoirs from his travels were jammed into a box he never left behind; it held his other language journals and currency savings.

He liked that Coriander didn't push him into certain topics. She answered honestly; that honesty was usually enough to nudge him into another topic. "I guess India would've been better had you visited a healthier area. I mean, it's good you stayed there because you helped those people, but I bet it has different areas. Ever been anywhere else, you know, somewhere you liked?" That was one example. At the question Bruce switched from India to Mexico. Mexico brought up mixed emotions.

It had been his first major workplace, and where he met Betty. Where he had the accident that led him to take up an unofficial vow of celibacy. Betty had pushed too hard…made him realize he wasn't safe with people. She was a wonderfully brilliant woman who liked to tackle things in a hands-on manner and reduce them to their most basic component. Learn all their secrets.

That couldn't be done with the Hulk, however. She'd drag him past that personal line of logicality and safety in order to get those answers, which he didn't like. Egging him on with murmurs of sex was infuriating and inappropriate, Bruce thought. There wasn't a man who didn't like sex, but there also wasn't a man – he imagined – who liked repeating himself. 'No' meant 'no' and Betty didn't like that.

_"Are you _sure_ I can't see him? I don't see the danger! I mean, you know I'm here and you wouldn't hit me! Would you, Bruce? C'mon…people who _love _each other share _all _their secrets."_

"Mexico was alright," Bruce shrugged, feeling his casual, sleepy contentedness crash and burn. Mexico was _not _alright but he didn't want to be honest. It would ruin the spellbound look she conveyed. Coriander had already looked at him weirdly for needing meditation after her session with Steve. They may have things in common – like feeling odd compared to other people, and feeling reluctant being in the Avengers – but she couldn't really understand him.

Not yet, at least.

He was aware that people needed to talk in order to understand one another. Bruce wasn't sure that it was wise to talk to Coriander. Nor was he sure _how _to talk to her. Aside from the Hulk being in his head, Bruce considered aspects of his personality to be in there, also. Or at least a representation of them, anyways.

It was one of his quirks and something that resulted from spending nearly three years being people cautious and alone. Adult Bruce – the most accurate representation of his human self – constantly warned of the dangers awaiting an older man falling for a younger woman. He was the logic. On the other side of the divider Coriander caused within him was the teenager that had been starved due to academic opportunities and social awkwardness. Teenage Bruce was shouting 'All systems go!' while trying to rip the door off to the cage of his sexual curiosity.

Like the snake in the Garden of Eden Teenage Bruce tried to seduce him, corrupt him; he promised spectacular performance if given the chance. Performance that may rival spry super soldier Steve, Bruce betted. In an incredibly tiny corner Bruce refused to acknowledge was Little Bruce. Little Bruce was terrified and lonely; he wanted someone to love him and make up for the trauma his father caused that day. Aside from the three Bruces, of course, was the Hulk.

Bruce wasn't entirely sure what Hulk wanted. They didn't communicate a lot and any recording Bruce had of him showed poor speech. There was a communication barrier, obviously. He was also something entirely primal which made him even harder to decode. Hulk was largely private, too, probably because he spent so much time acting on emotion instead of thinking.

He was constantly under wraps thanks to all of the techniques Bruce had learned to control him. The Hulk probably didn't _want _to talk to him. That was fine with Bruce!

"Mmm…" Mumbled his company, drawing him back to the present. "Hot like India," Shrugged Bruce. "Adapting to the currency was interesting, though. You know, exchange rates and all…" Bruce rooted through the box to find examples of pesos. By the time he found good ones, cleaned up the scattered mess threatening to consume the bed, and looked up to initiate eye contact, Coriander was asleep. She'd paid more attention than most people did, but while her mind was awake her body suffered.

Craved sleep.

Quietly tucking the pesos into the box, stowing it in the closet, Bruce smiled. Coriander had started out in a similar chin-propped-up position at the desk. Her right hand was wedged under her chin, face turned towards him, while her left arm hung over the back of her shoulder. She almost looked like she was trying to scratch the small half-moon of skin revealed by the gown and had fallen asleep instead. In all good conscience, having woken up to back pain and neck pain many times because of research projects run late, he couldn't let her sleep in a chair.

He carefully picked her up, heart thundering, and carried her to the bed. It was a fairly short walk but felt like the longest he'd ever taken. Her gown dropped towards her body slightly, as it would with gravity, and Bruce nearly stumbled. Soft, creamy thighs and a glimpse of her black underwear were ridiculously distracting. _If you're going through with this make a barrier_, instructed Adult Bruce.

It would look weird if he woke up wrapped around her, wouldn't it? Bruce thought that Adult Bruce's suggestion was a good one. A wall of pillows and blankets stolen from the closet would be a good way to make sure he didn't stray during the night. His body may unconsciously respond to the feeling of someone else being in bed with him and try to remember what it was like to sleep with another person. He piled the pillows and blankets in layers until he couldn't see Coriander anymore.

_That's not enough and you know it_, Teenage Bruce mused. Bruce shut his mind up, taking off the glasses while stuffing himself into the sheets. It was almost three in the morning and he needed to sleep. Thor was scheduled to train Cori tomorrow after the girls left at eight and Bruce had a feeling he'd need to be there. Something about a god training a mortal just reeked potential for injury.

* * *

His clock rang at six forty-five. Bruce rolled over to shut it off. He rubbed his face, sighing sleepily. Waking up was always the hard part of his day. Like he did every day, Bruce spent a few minutes in bed to compose himself and strip the fog from his mind.

As the fog lifted he felt his nerves and muscles twitch, beginning to warm up and move for the start of the day. Everything except his left arm, of course. Bruce leaned up slightly, imperfect vision capturing the sight of his pillow and blanket wall in shambles. Coriander's foot had trespassed the barrier, like his hand, and was a traceable lump near his left leg. Blood flooded Bruce's cheeks and he sighed through his nose. She was laying _on_ his hand.

His hand wasn't the only thing at her mercy. Bruce inferred that Cori moved in her sleep by the way the sheets were rumpled and twisted near her legs. The bulk of his makeshift wall was on the floor, or hanging off the bed. Coriander's left hand was wedged under her pillow, and her right arm looked buried beneath her pillow at the elbow. Extracting his hand cautiously, Bruce grabbed his glasses and slipped out of bed.

He began to collect the excess pillows and blankets to minimize a morning injury, trying to ignore the sight of Cori in his sheets. Hulk surged from the back of his mind, not strong enough to trigger a transformation, but enough to alter Banner's senses. This had happened once or twice when he thought he was being followed in India prior to Natasha retrieving him. A musky scent was detected immediately, and the bed seemed drenched in it. It was the smell of a female and her excitement; it was potent and Bruce felt dizzy and reckless the longer he inhaled it.

Bruce quickened his pace out of the room, throwing a change of clothes over the stack of pillows and blankets. All men had an erection in the morning so his situation couldn't get any worse. He would need a shower, though. Needless to say, the shower was an adventure. Pleasing himself had awakened dusty memories of how close he and Betty had gotten before Bruce locked down in fear.

It was wonderful.

By the time Bruce stepped out at seven thirty-seven with combed, wet hair and a properly folded collar on his buttoned shirt, Steve was making breakfast. Pepper was helping, as they had more to feed. Tony looked extremely disheveled, essentially zombie-like, as he brewed coffee. "Damn kids," Grumbled Tony as he scratched at his beard. "They were like crows last night with their laughing!"

"Sorry Mr. Stark," Spoke twelve voices. Some were dressed in fresh clothes and some weren't. A few had makeup on but most didn't. Only a handful rubbed at their eyes. Tony scratched at his beard again, thankful for his designer sweatpants and Stark Solutions tee.

He wasn't used to this many women staying in his house.

"He's fine. Just hasn't had his coffee yet," Assured Pepper. "Okay girls, while Steve and I finish breakfast I want you to check and make sure you have all your things. We start drop-offs at eight."

"Yes ma'am."

"Okay."

"Alright…"

"'M goin'…"

Bruce stuffed half of a sausage patty in his mouth in case one of them came back and wanted to chat. Thor helped carry their bags towards the elevator that would take them to the ground floor. Pepper had just put the fifth stack of toast on the table when Coriander stumbled out. Like Bruce, Thor looked surprised.

"Did you sleep well?" Teased one of the girls curiously. Coriander held up a hand as she grabbed a plate and began to load it with food. She seldom ate when she first woke up but she was _hungry_!

"Food first," Cori said in a sleep-deep voice, "then I'll hear from you if I want to."

Dr. Banner could tell she wanted to rub her eyes but refrained from doing so since a fork was in her hand. The girls giggled and nudged one another before making their own plates. Coriander looked like she was on autopilot as she ate. She didn't say a word about last night – Bruce could understand, with the company - which disappointed him. What did she think about waking up in his bed?

Did she regret it? What did she think about _him_?

Conversation was random and complex at the breakfast table. Pepper was talking to Tony about Stark Solutions and the girls were trying to say what their day was like after returning home. Talk of the tributary show – Bruce was lost on that one, he had to admit – was also popular. They had swarmed to the fridge last night for ice cream and had nearly killed the supply; breakfast was no different. It was over before Bruce could blink.

The only real evidence he had of breakfast, or the girls, was the dishes in the sink.

Thor carried the bags down to the limo in one trip. When he returned, grinning at the meal and the quiet that set in, he summoned his hammer. Bruce was still trying to figure out how Thor hadn't taken out a wall in Tony's house. Or any of his expensive electronics. "Come Coriander, our training awaits!" Thor announced enthusiastically.

"Hold on and let me—"

"You need not change your appearance! My training merely requires your presence." He promised.

"What the hell kind of training is that?"

"As there is training for the body, there is training for the mind. A warrior is aware of his fellows' abilities as well as his strengths and weaknesses. Today you shall know my strengths and abilities."

"The training room is that way," Coriander pointed in the direction opposite of Thor. He seemed unconcerned and motioned for her to follow him.

"What I need to show you cannot be demonstrated indoors."

"Why not?"

"Patience; all will be known soon. To the roof!"

_Thunder and lightning in the morning? That would freak a lot of people out as they drove to work_, Bruce chuckled slightly. He joined Thor and Coriander on the roof, aware of how high up they were. From the roof cars looked like specks of color barely bigger than a pixel in a picture. People could hardly be seen; Bruce only knew people were on the streets because they clogged the sidewalks. For his own safety, mindful that he didn't like loud noises, Bruce moved back over to Coriander near the center of the sprawling roof.

"Observe me, young Coriander." Instructed Thor as he held his hammer up. Without warning thunder rumbled in the sky as a bolt of lightning pierced the top of his hammer. Bruce was sure she'd yelped while jumping towards him, but he couldn't hear anything over the ringing in his ears. She clutched him unmercifully, threatening to cut off the circulation in his throat. It was because he shared a body with the Hulk that he didn't freak out with her.

He merely gritted his teeth at the noise and winced as he was temporarily blinded. Coriander gripped him tighter as Thor said something neither of them could hear and conjured another lightning bolt. Bruce appreciated a fellow storm-fearer as much as the next guy, but knew if he didn't detach Coriander that he wouldn't be able to breathe. Her nails pricked the skin of his neck; Bruce could feel blood trickling down into his shirt.

"Fear not this loud noise and light. There are far worse things to be afraid of. You cannot hesitate because of an ally when you're in battle. I shall call more lightning until you are accustomed to it." That he heard.

"I-I'll pass. Yeah, no thanks." Cori was caught between trying to duck down and bury herself in Bruce's neck and trying to squeeze his face off. Bruce could feel her shaking against him; he could see her pupils widening in fear. He was surprised she could even speak!

"One cannot 'pass' on training," Thor frowned.

"Well _I _am," Coriander unwound herself from Bruce and started towards the door. He sucked in a breath as the pressure faded from his lungs and the presence of heat left. Thor summoned another bolt of lightning and Coriander jumped sky-high towards the door. Bruce didn't know if she'd just jumped towards it or if she'd hit it. She couldn't get inside and Bruce could only imagine Tony had locked the door for the duration of Thor's training session.

He could relate to her fear and frustration as she sank to the floor, back to the door, and clapped her hands over her ears. When he was younger and staying at his Aunt Drake's house he'd go find the smallest spot possible and insert himself there until the storm passed. She would often have to come find him and pull him out, taking several minutes to do so. In the event that she caught him before he ran off to hide, she would hold him against her and pet his hair. Tell him to listen to her heart and use it to drown out the noise.

Aunt Drake did her best to dissipate the fear. Thor wasn't. It was probably because he saw thunder and lightning as no big deal, but that was not the case with Coriander. Bruce felt something getting pulled in his chest. Because Thor wasn't listening, or stopping, she was basically being bullied.

Bruce knew what it was like to be bullied. Being bullied made him angry.

Thor paused in his teaching as the shadow widened and towered over him like the Hulk. "You shall not interfere!" Ordered Thor, "My orders are from Fury! I am doing as I am told!"

Never one to appreciate authority, the Hulk just pinched him between two fingers and made his way to the edge of the building. Coriander and Bruce didn't like the noise so he'd get rid of it. Thor growled, probably cursed the Hulk, as he plummeted towards the streets. Hulk didn't care; in the time it would take him to get back on the roof he would show Coriander the noise had faded. "Cori?" Hulk poked her quivering form, unsure of what to do since she had her eyes closed and her hands locked over her ears.

He slipped two thick fingers beneath her like a forklift and brought her to him. He'd felt her tremble in his hands last time but this was different. Hulk laid down on the rooftop, letting the little human roll down his fingers like a ramp until she came to a stop atop his heart. Could she hear it beating over her shaking? Her clothes were different than last time but Hulk didn't mind; she was cold and soft beneath her fingers.

And the gown was green, like him.

The Hulk used one green finger to pet her, mindful of her delicate body as he started from her head and stopped at her mid-back. Eventually, the shaking stopped. He turned his face to the right as Coriander tentatively crawled from his heart to his shoulder, up his neck, and to the side of his face. "Thank you," He heard clearly since she was at his ear. Hulk liked her being on his face; he could better see her and hear her.

And he could see her clothes out of the corner of his eye. Coriander was pressed up against his face, propped up on her elbows beside his ear. She was unknowingly tightening the fabric of her gown around her body. Hulk was pretty sure that's the closest boobs had ever been to his face. "Hulk no want Cori be scared. Hulk scare Cori once. Not mean to, and Hulk know people no like be scared. So…Cori not like be scared either, right?"

"That's right. No one likes to be scared." Coriander stroked a patch of black hair around his ear, feeling like putty from the petting. Most would assume Hulk could fracture someone's back versus apply a light pressure but it was about the same as a massage parlor. Deep pressure, brief experience. Then it came back. Hulk was being especially careful, which was a bit adorable for the giant who was always roaring and raging.

"No one like be lonely, either."

"Is Hulk lonely?"

"Hulk always lonely…"

"Why?"

"Banner no want Hulk. Learn things to make himself not angry. Pretends he not have Hulk."

"Maybe he wants to keep you safe by pretending you're not there." Coriander shrugged.

"Hulk no understand…" The green giant scratched his head with the other hand. Coriander pursed her lips, trying to think of a way to put it. She continued to play with his hair for the time being.

"If people don't know Hulk is there inside of Bruce they won't make him come out. Won't hurt Banner or say mean things. If Hulk doesn't have to come out, people won't say those mean things about him."

"Banner want…protect Hulk?"

"Yep! And so does Cori because Hulk saved her from the lightning. Cori think Hulk's a sweetie pie!" She hugged his face as best she could. Hulk made a noise in the back of his throat and rubbed a finger across her back. That would have to do for a hug because he was too big.

"Hulk not pie! Hulk is Hulk!" Laughed the giant as he scooped her up and stood, setting her near his left ear before pushing down the door leading into Stark Tower. She had wanted to go inside, after all. The closest room was the living room; Hulk moved furniture around like toys until he had a space big enough to lay down. Coriander and Banner had talked for a really long time last night; Banner hadn't wanted to get up with his clock this morning. Hulk knew he needed to sleep.

She probably did, too.

"Cori sleep. Hulk keep, make sure Cori no scare."

"That would be rude," Coriander said as she returned to her spot by his ear. "Coriander sleeping make Hulk lonely. Hulk no have anyone to talk to."

"Hulk only lonely if no one near...if no one want come near. Cori near. Hulk no lonely." He began to stroke her back as if that would make her listen. Hulk smiled at the girlish purr she released.

"Cori take a small nap." Decided the girl.

"Banner take small nap, too." Hulk promised as she brushed her fingers rhythmically down his cheek before drifting off to sleep. Hulk's mind stayed awake while she slept, processing the quiet sound of her breathing. Any minute now Banner would take over because his anger had ebbed, but it was nice to have something like this. Have someone not afraid of him…someone who wanted to lay with him. Using two fingers, Hulk put her on the floor as his skin began to pale.

Banner was snapped to his senses in Tony's living room. His shirt was gone, his pants were a mess, and the heavy breathing he heard was not his own. Looking windblown and unhappy, Thor snorted at him from the fallen doorway to the roof. Bruce did nothing. Coriander's arm was loosely draped over him now that he'd reverted to a smaller form, and Banner contemplated untangling himself.

It wasn't right. He was older. But…how long had it been?

_"Cori near. Hulk no lonely." _

If Hulk, the source of his isolation, wasn't, then he wasn't, either.

Adult Bruce was foaming at the mouth with insistencies and warnings. Teenage Bruce applauded him. Little Bruce, for the first time in a long time, uncurled with a hopefulness that drowned out everything else in his mind. Bruce was just Bruce, but Bruce was happy.


	8. Paging Dr Banner

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to SophiaStark (who is new, I think), Misplaced Levity, tknoir1101 (new too?), Midnight Chamber, and XxBishxX (also new?) for reviewing the last chapter. A big thanks, also, to the people who are favoring or alerting this story but aren't reviewing. I know you're there! Thanks for the support!

Uh…I'm actually really surprised with the volume this story has received. Am I beating a dead horse to death with X-Men and TMNT? Haha. If you guys are hoping for more Cori/Banner stuff after this story (or **Bannerander**, as I've come to think of them) you may be disappointed. This whole story, in all honesty, was a shot in the dark.

I don't necessarily have anything planned, per se, but I have a few oneshot ideas rolling around in my head. If you guys have any suggestions, let me know! Sorry I'm dragging everyone through the mud with the training sessions but they actually matter by providing interaction, etc. Some of you seem a bit put off by the lusty impulses I'm putting throughout the story so I'll ease up on that :).

My updating schedule just got hairy – I fixed my modem but now my laptop battery needs to be replaced so I'm not sure how I'll fare. It's unfortunate, really. Sorry everyone, I'll try my best!

To SophiaStark: What is tumblr? And I'm glad that you are fan-girly over Hulk/Coriander/Bruce!

To Midnight Chamber: I'm pleased you are fond of the last chapter. I'm trying to paint Bruce as a realistic, slightly insecure/shy older man interested in a younger woman.

To Misplaced Levity: Am I updating too fast? And thank you, I figured separating Bruce into his emotions would provide more understanding, etc.

To XxBishxX: Thank you! I am quite humbled!

* * *

Seven: Paging Dr. Banner

"Tony _is _really sorry, you know." Bruce defended his friend as Coriander huffed and walked across the newly repaired lab floor. Things had taken a turn for the better when he awoke in her arms after a nap yesterday. It had been a soft moment void of the sparse, intense pangs of lust Banner felt. The moment proved he could be capable of affectionate companionship without bowing to what he considered Hulk's influence on his love life. They'd started a vague, more intelligent conversation yesterday, resuming where Hulk had merely tip-toed.

He learned she was afraid of being alone in new places and thunderstorms. From there they talked about what they liked, hated, admired, and dreamed of doing. The topics were simple, almost childish, but it made Bruce feel like a person. With one person he wasn't socially awkward, and with Coriander – someone who experienced a physical abnormality like himself – that was nonexistent. She was more than his patient…she was…relatable.

She was unbiased. Understanding.

They found a kinship in one another in the sense that any other person may question their validity as a dating partner. As a normal person in society. And being afraid of thunderstorms, of course. She also shared school yearbook pictures that made Bruce appreciate his own stint as a member of the 'brace-face' community. That kind of honesty, and her ability to laugh about her own awkward photos, made Bruce appreciate her.

Made himself feel better about his own insecurities, in a way, because Coriander just _didn't care. _She brushed them off. It was that nonchalance that made it hard for Bruce to understand why she was so upset with Tony and Thor still. Cori wouldn't speak to either of them. He imagined it was the sense of being betrayed, but wouldn't push.

It wasn't right to do so when she didn't do that with him. Coriander was one of the few, rare people who left him alone when he wanted to be alone. Unlike Tony. Stark pouted at them both, looking more to Bruce than the statuesque Coriander settled unhappily on the intact examination table. "Squirt? Got you a frappuccino…" Tony offered the ivory cup to her tentatively.

Coriander took it, and for a second Tony seemed to be mentally fist-pumping, but she slammed it down next to Bruce. "If Starbucks wasn't worth four bucks I'd throw it in the trash," Said Coriander coolly. "Drink up, Bruce. It doesn't have any caffeine."

"Uh…thanks," Bruce looked into the cup capped with whipped cream and plastic. She was steamed, wasn't she?

"C'mon, Squirt! Hey, you can't avoid me all day!" Tony followed her out of the lab into the living room where the hall towards her room waited. "We do still need to train," Reminded Tony, grabbing her arm softly.

"I'll train in evasion today," Coriander told him while yanking her arm away.

"Smart, but no dice. I'll cut you a deal, look...help me out with something and I won't bother you the rest of the day. You'll be free to do what you want!" Offered Tony. Coriander turned, curious, and folded her arms over her chest skeptically. Why did that sound too good to be true?

"I'm listening," She mumbled.

"That's great, and while you're still, let me do _this_." Tony quickly scooped her up by the knees and put her on his shoulder. Coriander yelped, beginning to beat him in the back.

"Damnit Stark!" Yelled Coriander, "I knew I shouldn't have stood still! Put me down!" He moved back towards the lab area where an elevator waited off to the side. Bruce poked his head out curiously, not sure if he should intervene.

"Um, Tony…should I-?"

"Not unless you want to," Grinned Tony as he mashed the elevator button and waited for it to open.

"I swear to god I'll lock you in there!" Hissed Coriander as Tony subdued one of her swinging legs by tucking it under his left, treating her body like something of a sash.

"Then I'll just keep you in there with me and we'll be stuck together," Replied Tony as the elevator opened up and he stepped inside, waving to Bruce. Bruce decided he was going to stay out it. Coriander already wouldn't talk to Tony and Thor as it was and he didn't want to be on that list.

"You're cruel," Whined Coriander as she gave up trying to free herself. Tony chuckled as the elevator brought them to his personal office in the middle of Stark Tower. "So how are we training today, O' Groveling One?" Teased Coriander. It was rare Tony went out of his way to apologize to anyone unless Pepper made him, but Coriander could tell his puppy eyes and remorse was genuine. She just liked to milk it; there weren't many people who could make Tony Stark beg.

"I need your help with Pep-Pep," Tony explained.

"How is that—"

"Pep's been acting funny. Usually I can tell what it is, like if she's mad at me or something, but this is different. She's not trying to talk to me as much as she used to. That's not very Pepper-like. I want to know what she's been looking up on her computer."

"You couldn't do that yourself?"

"She'd know it was me. Pepper and I are the only two that have master status with the computers. I don't want to make it worse…whatever _it _is."

"Ah, well, let me have a crack at it." Coriander settled in the computer chair stuffed under a long, polished hardwood desk. She thought it was a bit funny and sweet that Tony would give Pepper her own spot in his office. Seems he hated to do anything without her there. Cori started up the twenty-three inch black Dell computer. A blue screen occupied by the whitish-silver Dell logo stared at her, demanding a password.

"Know the password?" Inquired Coriander. Tony leaned over, clucking his tongue in time with his typing speed. The computer rejected the password and he frowned.

"She changed the password!" Marveled Tony, "See? Strange Pepper!"

She frowned. When Pepper really didn't want someone to see something, she went out of her way to conceal it. Coriander began to comb her brain for any hints Pepper may have dropped during their last girls' night. When nothing came to mind she settled for glowering at the screen.

_Dell Inspiron One 23" All-In-one detected. Link to device?_

_Yes_, thought Coriander.

_One incorrect attempt has been made at the password. Would you like to log in to this computer?_

_Yes_, Coriander's brows furrowed. She hated computers that asked questions when they _weren't _in their head. There was a whole new level of hatred for them now that one was basically a part of her mind. Computers, because they were not people but automated machines, tended to ask infuriatingly obvious questions.

_This computer has a three guess limit before locking up. Do you know the password or would you like to find it?_ Like with Agent Hill's iPhone the options appeared in her eye as clickable buttons. Cori chose 'find it' and winced slightly as the program sped through the alphabet and cardinal numbers. It fascinated Coriander to watch the numbers glow and whizz by as her mind computed and rejected the incorrect possibilities for Pepper's password.

_Match detected: AnthonytheIronMan65_

The password filled itself in, unlocking the computer in the process. "Aw," Coriander felt herself cooing reflexively. That was the helpless romantic in her. Tony was worried about Pepper but did he know she'd made him the password? It was sweet.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing, Stark." Assured Coriander as she opened up an internet tab and browsed the history. Suspiciously, it was all blank. Pepper was good. Things related to Tony's business matters – such as the contractors who were two days from finishing – were there, but nothing that might explain her behavior. Being a young computer user, herself, Coriander knew Pepper had been browsing privately when indulging in her strange behavior.

That was the only explanation.

For the first time since experiencing her Chitauri-given power, Coriander felt a buzzing in her mind. It was like a keen sense of alertness more than anything else. She could almost _feel _the connection to the computer. _Search for information about Pepper Potts' private browsing sessions_, commanded Cori, knowing it might be a stretch. Private browsing was stored differently in a computer than public browsing, but certain information had to be kept for safety reasons and legal matters.

If Pepper had opened multiple tabs in a private session then Coriander would have something to go off of. Multiple tabs were handled differently in private browsing than in public browsing.

_Searching…searching… Two articles are retrievable. Would you like to view them?_

_Yes_, Coriander watched the button depress as the computer lined up the articles in chronological order.

_**01001001 01110011 00100000 01001000 01100101 00100000 01001001 01101110 01110100 01100101 01110010 01100101 01110011 01110100 01100101 01100100 00111111 00100000 01000100 01100101 01100011 01101111 01100100 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01000100 01101111 01110101 01100010 01110100 00100001 **_

_Processing…processing…_

_Article "Is He Interested? Decode the Doubt!" decoded._

_Processing second file._

**_01000001 01110010 01100101 00100000 01011001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01001000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01010011 01100101 01111000 00100000 01000111 01101111 01100100 01100100 01100101 01110011 01110011 00100000 01101111 01110010 00100000 01001000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01010011 01100101 01100011 01110101 01110010 01101001 01110100 01111001 00100000 01000010 01101100 01100001 01101110 01101011 01100101 01110100 00111111_**

_Processing…processing…_

_Article "Are You His Sex Goddess or His Security Blanket?" decoded_.

The pages couldn't be opened on her computer because of how diced the stored information was. While it wasn't enough for the computer to put back together, Coriander's mind had processed the binary code into words and that served well enough. She didn't need to see the articles or search any longer to know why Pepper was acting funny. Pepper was worried about Tony, about their love life. Cori could only imagine how rough things had gotten when Tony chose to open his house to two assassins, one super soldier seventy years behind society, an Asgardian god, and another science geek with socialization issues.

Add her in there, of course, and things were painfully rough.

Coriander's period had finally tapered out, which was good, but her hormones weren't helping Pepper's situation. Women tended to know when one another were on the rag and get put off by it. "Talk to me, Squirt." Tony demanded, staring at an annoyingly blank computer screen.

"You've got nothing to worry about," Smiled Coriander.

"Obviously, I do! Now please—"

"No Tony, you don't. Pepper was looking up stuff about how to read signs from men. I guess she's not sure if you're interested anymore," Shrugged Coriander. Tony paused, prepared to say something, but closed his mouth instead.

"Well…things have been busy with the contractors…and the guys," Admitted Tony, scratching his head.

"Maybe you guys need to go on a lunch date, just the two of you, so she can have her Tony time." Suggested Coriander. All women really wanted, when they loved someone, was to spend time with them. Sometimes time alone was all it took for people to reconnect. Coriander thought it was all Pepper would need; most of her doubts were probably exacerbated by the stress she experienced being Tony's assistant and the 'normal but not spectacular' one associated with the Avengers. Hell, Coriander was qualified to be an Avenger but her ability made her feel like nothing compared to the others.

Okay, so she could mess with technology, so what? What if technology wasn't always there for her to manipulate, then what? She hadn't used it that much so what if it didn't work when she needed it to? Clint could shoot someone in the eye from who knew how many miles away without a problem. Natasha could speak fluent Russian and beat people up while tied to a chair (or so she'd heard)!

As far as she was concerned, Coriander felt like she was the unfit one. The one lagging behind the others trying to play catch-up. Trying to fit in. "You think it'll be that easy?" Wondered Tony. Coriander grinned, amused at how brilliant he was about anything but this.

"Yes," Promised Coriander with another grin. "Now can I go?"

"Sure, Squirt. And…thanks…" Tony ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure, and gave her a one-armed hug. She'd been ridiculously mad at Tony this morning but something about him worrying over Pepper made her forget all of that. Romance was always her biggest weakness.

"Not a problem. I'm going to meet the girls. They've been texting me nonstop since the sleepover," Informed Coriander. "We've got to start planning for our tributary show."

"Bruce, Cap, Clint, Thor, and Natasha will be here if you need anything. Pepper and I have a lunch date." Smirked Tony as he asked JARVIS to summon Pepper.

"I'm twenty-six, Tony. I can handle myself, but...thanks."

* * *

Bruce was surprised to find the house so quiet, and for two hours, no less. It was a welcome quiet but also a disturbing one. He'd gotten so used to the Avengers' tower having noise that he couldn't function without it. Tony and Pepper had gone out on a lunch date but it was a quiet that went beyond Tony. Tea called him from the lab, as he'd been neglecting his appetite since earlier this morning when Tony carted Coriander into the elevator, but even with his favorite drink he still felt incomplete.

_To All,_

_Went to On The Heel of Success for tributary dance practice! Have my phone on vibrate if you need me. _

_- Coriander_

Well, that explained it. She was like a welcome shadow to Bruce, what with their conversations and shy, unspoken understanding of whatever it was they had going on. For once, he'd been ripped from his solitude. It was unexpected but now he wasn't sure how to get back to it. Wasn't sure if he wanted to get back to it now that he and Hulk both had someone they liked.

Bruce sipped on his tea for a few moments, happy to hear Thor and Steve getting excited about something modern. Now it wasn't totally silent. He was surprised at how fond he'd become of working in chaos. Natasha was apparently having them watch an episode of _16 and Pregnant_. Steve's strict belief concerning safe sex, marriage, and children was quickly clashing with Thor's views cultured by Asgard.

Natasha was enjoying the fight and the chance to belittle the women. She was a strong woman and didn't much care for being burdened with children...yet. Like watching clouds darken before oncoming rain, Bruce took their escalating voices as a sign to leave. He returned to his safe, clean lab that had ruined Tony's initial repair schedule. Because they both loved science, and needed adequate space, the lab had been a priority over some of the upper floors still needing work.

He drifted between personal matters and reviewing designs for Stark Solutions that Tony wanted a second opinion on. Neither one of those prompted the use of a word document. Bruce could see the big, bold text from the entrance to the lab and hurried over. Amazed, Bruce sucked in a breath. Coriander had contacted him via computer, a word document no less!

He'd have to make a note of that in her file. Questions, like if her power had a range, came to mind but he pushed them aside. This was clearly a distress message.

**Bruce, need you at the studio. It's an emergency. Bring medical kit.**

**What happened? How are you doing this?** Bruce typed back, wondering if Coriander would receive his response in her brain. It was likely she would, as that's where her chip was located and the chip was what the Chitauri DNA had corrupted.

**I don't know, really. I just needed to get a hold of someone and Tony's busy so I figured you were in the lab. Tried connecting to the computers. And as for your other question: to me or the other guy?**

Wait, _she'd _been hurt? He could care less about the other guy!

**To you!** Replied Bruce.

**Most of my damage came from holding Carmen down so she couldn't get him!**

**Get him for what?**

**I'd rather not talk about it…at least not in my brain. Just come, please? He needs medical attention more than I do.**

**I'm on my way.**

**Thanks Bruce :)**

Was the smiley face a way to tell that she was smiling as she spoke (or thought, rather)? He wasn't sure, and couldn't entertain that question. Bruce threw a few things – bandages, ointment, medical scissors, cotton balls, Coriander's file, and gauze - in the backpack that had survived India and Mexico before running out of the door. Natasha caught only one or two words of his explanation before he disappeared. Tony's cars were incredibly expensive, and he couldn't locate the keys, so he took a cab.

Thankfully there weren't that many studios named On The Heel of Success so the cabby knew where to go. Bruce asked the cabby to stop as soon as he saw people outside the incredibly large studio. Out of the nine people on the sidewalk, Bruce only recognized three of them: Alexandra, Carmen, and Coriander. Carmen was pinned beneath Coriander and bucking worse than a mechanical bull to get back up. A blonde man, not much shorter than himself, held his profusely bleeding thumb in his other hand while a scrape on his cheek turned pink.

The pinkness of the wound meant it was fresh. Something had happened. Bruce threw money at the cabby and nearly kicked the door open to get answers. Coriander had a darkening bruise on her right cheekbone, a bloody bottom lip, and a gash over her right temple. Carmen was shouting in Spanish from the pavement, fluent and loud despite the fact that half of her face was glued to the concrete.

_"What happened?" _Asked Bruce in Spanish, kneeling down to Carmen. She breathed heavily, reminding him of Hulk as she snorted through her nose and launched her torso up where Coriander had her arms pinned behind her back.

_"That jackass called her a freak! She wasn't going to do anything about it so I did!"_

_"Why did he call her a freak?"_

_"He saw her eye. Said he didn't know if it was safe to be in a show with her. This is our _rival _dance studio. We came here because we had no choice. They jumped at the chance to be in the tributary show because people will want to see it. They'll get publicity."_ Explained Carmen.

_"I see. I'm going to ask Coriander to let you up, okay? You have to compose yourself though or I'll be the one putting you down. Understand?"_

_"Which Avenger are you again?"_

_"The big green one."_

_"Alright…I'll be nice. Until you leave…"_

_"I can deal with that." _Bruce laughed, motioning for Coriander to get off of her. Reluctantly, Coriander obeyed. It wasn't near as bad as he thought; that made restoring his pulse a bit easier. Gingerly taking Coriander's face in his hands, Bruce moved it to analyze the extent of the damage. This was minor, too, much to his relief.

"I'm fine, I'm—Bruce, take care of him! You see me at home. I can be fixed later."

"He should take care of me first, anyways, because you're crazy friend is the one that attacked me!" Snapped the lithe blond that looked to be the lean kind of strong.

"If you'd kept your mouth shut and acted like you had some fucking _courtesy_ I wouldn't have had to attack you!" Roared Carmen, starting for him again until Faith and one of the instructors grabbed her arm.

"I have this little right called 'freedom of speech'," Retorted the man coolly. Carmen growled again. "I simply spoke my mind. She looks weird and I was startled."

"And I bet you'd look adorable after surviving an alien, right? Huh? HUH? She's a fucking soldier, you _cabrón_!" The instructor and Faith began to drag Carmen inside before she could attract others with her yelling. Bruce had to agree that this boy seemed like a bastard.

"Whatever. Are you going to fix my finger?"

"What happened?" Bruce asked as he began to clean the wound. He may not like the boy, or what he'd said, but doctors could never pick and choose their patients.

"She looked at my phone and it closed on my finger. Didn't you, you little freak?"

"That's so silly, Jace!" Laughed Coriander. She had the upper hand, despite what he'd said, because no one would believe that a phone could be shut on someone's hand with a mere look. "Maybe you just got a little excited and closed it yourself?"

"You wish I did!"

"Actually, I wish you closed it on your testicles." Smiled Coriander. Bruce barely stifled a chuckle and finished wrapping the boy's thumb. He believed the boy – not that he'd tell _him _that – because the thumb nail had been cracked and pushed inwards. That required a lot of force technology couldn't have on its own. Jace snorted in response, glaring at Coriander.

"You're infuriating!" Seethed Jace.

"By all means, feel free to avoid me. The show will be better with a different male lead, anyways."

"The only reason you got female lead is because people feel sorry for you."

"Actually, it's because I can dance. I could dance circles around your ass…well, if you had one." Coriander flashed a quick, cold smile and flipped her hair confidently over her shoulder as she breezed back inside.

"Isn't she a riot?" Grumbled the boy rhetorically. "She has _no _good qualities. If we get bad reviews, I'll blame her!" Hissed Jace.

"I think she has several good qualities." Bruce defended, aware of his pulse racing and the anger buzzing at the back of his mind. Jace's little face would be so easy to squish.

"Who are you, anyways? A bit convenient for a doctor to just show up, don't you think?"

"I'm her doctor." Bruce smiled at the obvious nervousness and wide-eyed shock that fell over his temporary patient. There was a certain pleasure that came from causing such discomfort. "She called me here for you."

"Oh," Swallowed Jace. Bruce could tell he didn't know whether to be embarrassed or quiet, considering what he'd said.

"Yeah," Bruce wrinkled his nose slightly, absently. "I'd say one of her good qualities is that niceness. It's one of the things that makes us great together."

"Why?" Jace dared to ask.

Grinning, utterly nonchalant, Bruce answered, "Because I have anger issues." He knew at forty-four he should not be aiming to scare young men but the chance was too good to pass up. Hulk had already been stirred by what Carmen revealed. Banner felt the rush of anger fly through his veins until it pooled at his eyes. When his body transformed to that of the Hulk his eyes changed, too. Jace staggered back after looking into nearly neon-green eyes for a few seconds.

That wasn't normal!

"Allow me to share some advice with you," Bruce stepped back, not wanting to give the boy probable cause to claim assault, "be careful who you call a freak. One day you might call out the wrong one."

Jace opened his mouth to say something but Coriander came out with a duffle bag over her shoulder. "They're going to reorganize the groups and get back to me later," Explained Cori as Bruce flashed her a curious look. She grabbed his hand, needing someone nice and something comforting after all of the comments Jace had made. Coriander knew what he'd said was just words, but…no one liked to be made fun of. Especially her, because she'd received enough mean comments throughout school as a brace-face and victim of acne.

Bruce hailed a cab moments later, holding the door open for Coriander so he could have one last look at Jace as he stayed close to the door of the dance studio. Then, without a word, Bruce joined Coriander in the cab. "To Stark Tower, please." Requested Bruce. His fingers tentatively crept over his leg, across the seat, to her closest hand. As normal Bruce he wondered if they'd reached this point, but didn't really explore the doubt because Coriander just looked like she could use some contact - some company - right now.

Because he knew how that felt, and knew how helpful having someone could be, he didn't let go. He stroked a thumb over the soft skin of her right hand as the car weaved through traffic. Bruce could see her throat constrict as her eyes began to gleam. Coriander wanted to cry – maybe in anger, maybe in sadness – but was holding out until they arrived at the tower. Like a gentleman, a supporter, he dropped a kiss on the back of her hand.

The small squeeze he gave represented that he cared, that he was there for her. Coriander flashed an appreciative, small smile. He tucked a bit of dark hair behind her ear as the car drew nearer to Stark Tower, wanting to keep it from the small gash trickling blood. Cori flushed slightly, fishing her wallet out of her duffle bag. "Put that away," Bruce waved her wallet away as the cabby parked and turned to see who would pay him.

"No, I'll pay. It's not right to make you pay twice. I'm the one that asked you to come down, anyways."

"Put it away."

"No."

"Cori—"

"No, Bruce." She started to unfold her wallet and Bruce clapped a hand over it.

"Two against one," He grinned, almost boyishly, as he arched his eyebrows in a way that begged Coriander to contradict him. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it. Bruce could practically read the _Touché! _on her face as the cabby cleared his throat. A few bills fell into his hand and the cabby drove away, leaving them standing outside Tony's massive tower. He shyly reached for her hand, hoping to be inconspicuous, but failed and fought the nearly visible wince as she smiled and roped her pinky around his.

They walked to the lab without being intercepted, and Bruce unpacked his backpack while Coriander settled on the examination table. Bruce took a moment to look at her, hands slowing down with the unpacking process. She had wet eyes threatening to form tears and a tight throat, as indicated by the hard swallowing. "Want to talk about it?" He pulled the last of the items out of the bag and dropped it to the floor.

"Not really. It's just…I don't know. It's stupid." Coriander combed her fingers through her hair, laughing at the stupidity of it all, but the noise came out as an airy huff.

"It's not stupid if it makes you feel bad. If it makes you feel bad it obviously meant more than something trivial and, ergo, stupid." Rationalized the scientist as he lifted her chin. Coriander smiled, and cursed herself as she felt her lip wobble all over again. Damn Bruce!

"I guess I forgot how mean people could be." Shrugged Coriander. Bruce had seen some old pictures of her and knew what she was referring to. High school was rough without people's appearance being judged as the only worthy component of character.

"People can be mean," Agreed Bruce as he wiped a tear away with his thumb. "You just have to ignore them, especially him. I don't think you're a freak." How could he even think that, being what he was?

"Thanks Bruce," Whispered Coriander.

"You're welcome," Bruce kissed the top of her head since she still had it bowed in apparent disappointment. Adult Bruce cried out in mortification that he'd officially crossed that 'older man-younger woman' line. That line, and the 'doctor-patient' line. Teenage Bruce consoled him, defending that it was appropriate. Little Bruce just wanted to make her happy, like normal Bruce, because he knew what it was like to feel upset.

Coriander raised her head in surprise. Bruce took advantage of that and began to clean at her lip. Cori hissed, pulling away, but Bruce simply followed her with the cotton ball. He applied an ointment-soft bandage to her temple and grinned at his handiwork. Her mood didn't seem awful now, either.

"No," Coriander tucked hair behind her left ear to keep it even since her right ear was exposed, "I mean for…well, everything. For being that person who kind of knows what I'm going through with the physical oddity and the reluctance to be here."

"Thank you for being pro-Hulk," Bruce cracked a grin. Coriander was honestly blown away by the fact that he remembered that. True, it wasn't long ago she'd declared herself 'pro-Hulk' in the kitchen, but it felt like forever ago.

"Yeah," Coriander mumbled shyly, looking anywhere but at Bruce because he had that large, knowing grin on his face. Evil little nerd. Adorable, but evil.

"I saved this. Figured you'd want it. You look like you could use it now." Bruce pulled the frappuccino from the little fridge typically reserved for Tony's energy drinks.

"You really are sweet!" Mused Cori as she swirled the straw around and welcomed the vanilla goodness into her mouth. Vanilla always made things better.

"Just taking care of my patient." Bruce rubbed her shoulder before putting away all of the hastily gathered medical supplies. It bothered him to have them out of place and just _lying _there. Coriander smiled, kissing his cheek as she hopped off the table. The medical scissors clattered to the ground and Bruce flushed. Their relationship was complicated; they'd woken up together but that was mostly because of Hulk…and yet, Hulk had nothing to do with the fact that they'd held hands or he'd received a sudden kiss.

"Wha—?"

"Just taking care of my doctor." She disappeared with a smile, leaving Bruce stunned and content inside. Coriander certainly was his most interesting patient. Likely the one he'd never forget…not that he wanted to.


	9. Not So Birds of a Feather

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to Midnight Chamber, SophiaStark, and crystal-roses13 for reviewing. It means a lot!

To Midnight Chambers: I'm glad you like the lusty bits. We'll see more of those in the next chapter :D. I like including the other characters because they give me another angle to work the Bruce/Cori relationship from.

To SophiaStark: I don't mind that you don't have a bio. I'm fine getting reviews or story alerts. And ah, thanks for that. So I guess I should go check it out and see if it has _Avengers _stuff?

There's not much left to this story so I hope you enjoy it while it lasts! The 31 reviews were awesome, more than I could ever ask for!

I own no rights to the music mentioned in this chapter. I don't know how long Bruce has actually been struggling with the Hulk (tried to find it on the Marvel wiki but couldn't) but I'll assume about twenty years or so. Twenty years for the purpose of this story.

* * *

Eight: Not-So Birds of a Feather

_Bzz! Bzz-bzz! Bzz-_

"Hello?" Coriander snuggled into her pillow with the other half of her face since the phone was glued to her left ear. She couldn't ignore the phone anymore. Whoever wanted to get ahold of her must be important, or want to share something important. She couldn't imagine who it would be – she lived in Stark Tower, how many other important people could there be outside of it? Ones that she knew, no less? – but started up her brain, anyways.

_"You need to get up, girl!" _Carmen exclaimed loudly. Coriander winced at the volume.

"Why?" She dared to ask, leaning her head back into the pillow and no longer against it.

_"You're in class A with me. We start in forty minutes!"_

"What are you talking about?"

_"The tributary show! What else?"_

Groaning, Coriander leaned up to eye her clock. It was twenty past four in the morning. She was going to kill Carmen, Coriander decided. "Alright, I'm getting up."

_"Bye girl!"_

She stumbled out of bed, bleary-eyed, to her closet. Coriander slipped into a pair of shorts and put on a sports bra beneath her sky blue tee. The girl brushed her hair out as she staggered towards the bathroom down the hall where her toothbrush waited. Four in the morning…what a hellish hour! Cori gave a delayed cry her brain processed the sight of an equally sleepy Steve relieving himself.

"JESUS!" Hissed Coriander, "Why didn't you turn on the light?"

"Mnnrghh…light in 'Tasha and Clint's room…" Mumbled back her housemate; his blue eyes twinkled wearily as he began to realize she was there.

"Why are you still there?"

"I need to brush my teeth!" Blurted Coriander, not wanting to admit she was too shocked and embarrassed to close the door like a normal person. She was too sleepy for this shit!

"I'll be finished in a minute," Yawned Steve.

She shut the door, unsure whether or not she should feel mortified or impressed. Seventy years in ice had done nothing to shrink the Captain's assets, obviously. That shock was the energy boost Coriander needed. As the toilet flush echoed and sounds of the faucet running met her ears, Coriander felt more awake than she had been. Steve came out rubbing his eyes while murmuring an apology as he lumbered back to his room.

Coriander brushed her teeth, returning to her room long enough to write a note in case anyone came looking for her. Better to be safe than sorry since Greenwald and Lovell wanted her out this early. Who knew when they would get finished?

_To All (4:34 AM),_

_Went to On The Heel of Success for practice. I'm in class A, apparently, and that's the 'Early __A__s Hell' class (says me)._

— _Coriander_

'Put note in kitchen' was the first task scheduled in her mind. Until she remembered her duffle bag. After coming home yesterday and going straight to the lab, she'd basically forgotten about it. She put the old clothes in the laundry hamper, checked her wallet to make sure nothing had spilled out, and slipped two fresh towels into the duffle bag. Deodorant, her wallet, and cellphone followed.

Cori snatched up the paper, assuming it was the right one since there were only two on her nightstand, and dropped it off in the kitchen before zipping out the door to hail a cab. It was close enough to five that she'd be able to get one. To her relief, Class A didn't include Jace. Carmen, Alexandra, and a few male students from On The Heel of Success were in Class A. She'd been told by Carmen and Mrs. Greenwald that the two classes had been dived between her, Ms. Lovell, and the two participating instructors that actually worked in On The Heel of Success.

There would be a fifteen minute break at the halfway point in each session, explained the two instructors. Each session – for Class A and Class B – was three hours long. Meetings would be from Monday to Friday, and on weekends by majority vote or if the instructors thought more practice was needed. Faith had given her a vague description of the tributary dance at the sleepover; something about star-crossed lovers breaking up but fighting through an alien invasion to see one another again, but Mrs. Greenwald expounded. The tributary dance would be comprised of twelve songs and minor narrations throughout so the audience would understand how the songs embellished the story.

They listened to all of the songs in case anyone hadn't heard them. Copies of the music would be distributed at the end of practice, said Greenwald as some expressed concern with not having certain songs. Listening to the twelve tracks took about forty minutes; after the last song ended Mrs. Greenwald dove straight into warm-ups. "You've spent enough time sitting around," She teased, "it's time to wake up!" Michelle Neely was their other instructor, one employed by On The Heel of Success, and she winced at Mrs. Greenwald's straightforward method and booming voice. Their first song, "Scream" by Usher, was just under four minutes.

Mrs. Greenwald and Ms. Neely did two run-throughs of the choreography for that song, so they could watch, before they began to break it down and teach the girls. Coriander almost lost her train of thought trying to figure out who was playing the male lead, but quickly snapped back into focus. If they were going to be at this for three hours focus was important! She wouldn't be the reason for practice getting hung up…that would just give Jace something to tease her about! Learning routines is never easy, especially when instructors have to make sure every student has it and can perform alongside the music and their fellow dancers.

It was a repetitive process and a meticulous process, but Coriander enjoyed it. "Scream" had choreography largely focused on the male lead coaxing the female lead into temptation. Like Coriander, the female character was hesitant about sexual relations but, in the end, the male character convinces her to have sex. The show would have provocative themes but no actual nudity during any of the songs. On The Heel of Success and Point Taken's version of sex was sexy dancing.

Her abdominals ached and her thighs felt like heavy rocks as she took her break. Coriander's first thought was to check her phone. Someone had to be looking for her, right? Maybe not, but it would be her luck that she didn't check while Pepper left her a million messages. Cori prided herself on the idea to check her phone because a message was waiting.

Only…it was from Bruce and not Pepper.

_Interesting…I didn't know he knew how to text_, Mused Coriander as she pulled up the message. She could only assume Bruce hadn't tried to contact her like yesterday because she was currently engaged in a dancing session.

_Are you okay? _Asked the text.

_Yeah, I made it here just fine. Why?_ Coriander typed back. She doubted he'd be by the phone, but replied anyways so Bruce would know his message had been received.

_I'm no psychologist, but that note you left tells me you're not alright. It tells me you're having heavy, doubtful thoughts._ Coriander nearly dropped it when he texted back. One: she wasn't expecting him to text back, and two: she wasn't expecting him to text that fast. Hadn't he been in India prior to Natasha finding him? Where did he learn how to text like that?

_What are you talking about? _

_Your note about going to On The Heel of Success was in your room._

_Oh fuck_, Coriander bit her lip, quickly releasing it as it pulsed painfully. There was a wound on it that she'd nearly forgotten about. She'd grabbed the wrong piece of paper!

_Has anyone else seen it? _

_No, I have it with me in the lab. _

_Care to explain it? _

_Uh…not right now. Break's almost over. I'll be home around eight. We'll talk then? _

_No need to punctuate with a question mark. We'll be talking about it._

Coriander flopped down on the available bench where Carmen munched on a bag of chips with a side of sliced apples. She offered Cori a chip but it was declined. Cori's head was spinning with mortification and self-rage. How could she not have checked the paper before putting it on the counter? Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!

* * *

_Tony → Strength (Iron Man suit), intellect, money. _

_Thor → God ('nough said). _

_Hawkeye → Expert marksman._

_Natasha → Fluent Russian assassin. And just scary. Fuck the Russian part and the assassin part. Her superpower is being scary as shit!_

_Steve → Super soldier (strong & determined)._

_Bruce → Smart (Tony equivalent but much more tolerable ego. GIG charm.)._

_Hulk → Ridiculously strong ( __ Thor and Steve?)._

_Me (Cori) → Bitten by an alien. Sees technology. Gets headaches. Woo! (No, not 'Woo!' because it's stupid! :()_

Bruce had been one of the first ones up and saw that laying on the kitchen counter. He'd never seen Coriander's handwriting until then but knew she'd done it because of the 'Me' near the bottom of the page. Clearly she was trying to establish her place, or think of what she might have to offer the team. Something warm in him curled – love or appreciation? – at the fact she'd listed him and Hulk as two different people. The idea had nearly been enough to distract him but the longer he looked at the note, the madder he became.

How could she speak ill of herself? Bruce realized that he had no real reason to be mad since Tony claimed he'd done the same thing with himself on the helicarrier, but still…couldn't Coriander see? She offered much, _much _more than headaches and the ability to see technology! At least…she did to him. For the first time in a very long time – twenty years, to be exact – he'd defeated fear.

The Hulk liked her, and the Hulk had been the one thing standing in his way in the past. Because he had Hulk's approval Banner felt that squeezing shackle of fear dissipate; he was free! There were no worries to be had! Not because of the Hulk, at any rate. Bruce was still _very _concerned with the things society would call him if news of his…well…if news about him and Coriander leaked.

Tony was used to tabloids decimating, nearly impervious. Bruce wasn't, and knew if they started to discredit him that those attacks would tear him to pieces. Emotionally more so than physically, but that was to be expected because his father had left him in a poor emotional state to begin with. Damn bastard! For all of the things he'd come to understand, Bruce couldn't quite figure why Coriander would see herself as beneath the rest of them.

Nick Fury had personally inducted her into the Avengers (in a way) and that meant they were all equal. Despite what they looked like, what they could or couldn't do, they were all Avengers. She didn't seem to understand that, he thought. But, looking at this page baring her innermost thoughts, Bruce could see why she felt dwarfed. Thor was a god, – literally, and that alone was enough to make anyone feel bad (except for Tony because of his ego) – Steve was a super soldier that had helped stop World War II, Natasha could kill effortlessly, Clint could probably put Robin Hood to shame, Tony had money and a suit that allowed him to fly, and he could turn into a massive green juggernaut.

Coriander couldn't do any of those things…but she made him smile. Humbled Tony…in a weird way. That was something in itself! He and Coriander were the only two that didn't have costumes. Clint and Natasha treated their endless supply of black clothes as uniforms, and both still had their SHIELD uniforms.

Cori had nothing. No special suit. Just a glowing eye that helped her dismantle technology and absorb secrets as if she were reading a book instead. Her moping was understandable but not healthy. Bruce wouldn't allow her to be disappointed in herself since Tony had taken the time to pull him out of his own rut.

She shouldn't be disappointed about anything, anyways. Coriander was young, beautiful, and an enviable dancer, according to Pepper. On the contrary, Coriander should be loving life. Her foresight about their team abilities aged her incredibly but spoke of a wise soul hidden in a young body; it made her very mature in Bruce's eyes. The paper was evidence of her thought process, attention to detail, and need to find a spot for herself within their ranks.

And her self-loathing, apparently.

Bruce could practically hear Coriander's sarcasm as she wrote her note off to the side of her name. It made him want to smile _and _frown. On the one hand, that was _definitely _Cori. On the other…it wasn't acceptable. If he wasn't allowed to feel sorry for himself, she wasn't allowed to feel sorry for _her_self.

The genius sighed, taking off his glasses (the correct ones, thanks to Pepper putting an order in at the local optometrist) to pinch the bridge of his nose. Being the older person in their relationship…or not-relationship, as neither one of them had nudged it in that direction, Bruce knew his reaction was to lecture. He couldn't do that with Coriander though; even if he _was _mad…that all melted away when she looked at him with those big green eyes. He was just simply going to _explain _how it was unhealthy to have a negative frame of mind. That should work, or so he hoped.

If it didn't…well, maybe he should just give her something to help her feel like a superhero. _That's actually a good idea_, Bruce put his glasses back on as he flipped through her file. Coriander's height and weight would be necessary for the product developments. Once or twice, as Bruce was sketching a general shape, he wondered if the idea was silly. Cliché, maybe, but he thought it would make her happy.

"Hey, Tony, are you busy?"

_"Pepper and I are having some coffee and – _"Hehe! Stop it, you're on the phone!"_ – talking. What can I help you with, Doc?"_

"A design, that is…if you're not busy." Bruce rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh as several other giggling sounds were heard. He was pretty sure Pepper had given him a warning slap, too, since Tony didn't seem to mind balancing a conversation and pleasure.

_"I can lend my services, since I'm done with my…hand exercises – _"Tony! Don't pinch so hard or I swear – Hehe, okay, I'm sorry! I'll shave you in your sleep!" – _for the day_._"_ Decided Tony.

"Great." Bruce cut the communication before he heard something he wished he hadn't. Tony strutted in like every other time, though his smile looked particularly wider and more victorious.

"What'cha workin' on?" Tony skimmed over Coriander's open file, a prototype of Iron Man boosters and launchers Bruce was supposed to be looking at, and a paper with a circular sketch.

"Something for Cori," Bruce said nonchalantly as he added more pencil lines.

"Flowers typically cut it for the first gift, Doc. Or chocolates…kid likes to eat, in case you haven't noticed." Bruce looked up to Tony, not happy about his plan being written off, and settled for pushing his glasses up instead of a snarky response. He was usually very level-headed and reserved but Coriander's self-loathing had him thinking back to his own-self-loathing. It had him thinking back to how furious he was at people wanting to get close but not understanding the consequences…had him digging up smart-ass comments as a defense to keep everyone at bay.

"Coriander's been experiencing a feeling of inadequacy concerning herself and the team so I want to amend that. A prescription for self-confidence, if you will."

"Clever play there, incorporating your doctor status." Teased Tony.

"Do you want to help or not, Stark?"

"Yes, Bruce. I'll help. Do we have a deadline?"

"Before she gets home, if that's doable."

"So what do you have in mind?"

"Well…"

* * *

Coriander's stomach growled loudly as she set her duffle bag down in the kitchen and promptly began pillaging the pantry. She seized a honeybun, grinning, and began to open it as she walked away victoriously.

_Fwoop!_

Her honeybun split just under the area showing Cori's bite mark. The honeybun connected thickly with the wall, courtesy of a slim black arrow. "You missed!" Cawed Coriander in glee as she shoved a bigger bite in her mouth for safety reasons. Clint may try to take more next time.

"No I didn't," Clint peeled the severed honeybun from the wall, dropping it into his mouth with nonchalance. Cori licked her fingers, finishing off the honeybun before he could take it. Clint smiled, licking his lips before knocking another arrow.

"You wouldn't _dare_!" Coriander glared at him as if to stave him off. Clint wasn't necessarily maniac, but he looked amused. Looked cognizant and guilty, despite not doing anything. He backed off a few paces, arms locked and arrow pointed. The arrow in question had no tip, so Cori didn't see why he was aiming it.

"Just giving you a taste of what training's going to be like," Assured Clint as he fired the arrow. Coriander ducked but it did no good. As the arrow approached her it disassembled itself, dropping a net as it sailed overhead.

"You're a douche!" Whined Coriander as the net began to conform to her body. No escaping this without his help, apparently.

"I'll take this," Bruce swept his eyes over Coriander in mild amusement as he filled a glass with water and grabbed the abandoned arrow with his remaining hand. All the time he'd spent running from the government and lifting sick people aided him well. He felt like he was dragging next to nothing, and found himself marveling at the arrow's endurance as he dragged Coriander back to the lab.

"This isn't funny, Bruce!"

"I think it is," Shrugged the scientist as he huffed a curl from his eye. "But we did say we'd talk, and I have one free hand, so this is helping me."

"You suck…" Pouted Cori.

"Say that after your surprise." Challenged Bruce.

"What surprise? I thought we were having a talk?"

"We will talk. Part of the talk is about your surprise," Explained Bruce as he came upon the lab. Tony's shit-eating grin exploded the second he saw the situation.

"Getting into bondage, Doc?"

"Mmm? Oh no. This is courtesy of Clint." Bruce nodded his head back to Coriander and wiggled his fingers to show Tony the arrow in his hand. The fellow genius wrinkled his nose.

"You know three-ways typically involve one man and two girls, right? Not two men trying to get one girl?"

"Tony…just…never mind." It wasn't even worth it, really. Tony smiled, thoroughly pleased. Bruce set his water down and heaved Coriander up onto the table. He began to cut away the net with medical scissors.

"In light of your unhealthy foray into negativity, Tony and I have concocted something to make you feel better about your Avenger status. You know…something a little more than technology and headaches." Teased Bruce as he presented the slightly bulky circle of metal. He and Tony had compressed it as much as possible but decided against it being too slim because they wanted it to have weight and, of course, it was the prototype. The circle of metal had straps, which Cori slipped her arms through, to snuggle the device against her body. Each side of the metal circle had thin slots, similar to a stretched out USB port found on computers, that housed thinner bits of pointed metal shaped like slender rose petals. Those 'petals' were composed of two additional parts of metal: a fatter base that narrowed into the second piece, a pointed tip.

"It looks like…" Coriander looked over her shoulder to the reflective surface of the lab fridge.

"Wings?" Supplied Tony with a satisfied smile. "Generally stuff that helps you fly looks like that." He winked at her.

"This is going to help me _fly_?" Cori spun around, nearly impaling a chart on the fridge. She pulled away slightly, unaware of how sharp the tips were.

"Yes," Smiled Bruce.

"I didn't trust him going into this," Admitted Tony, "but as we started to make it I saw the value. With your ability to handle technology, and this backpack, you could fly around – avoiding enemy capture, you see? That's the brilliant part! – and relay information back to me." Tony said, making rolling motions with his hands to mimic flying.

"It'd be better than sending you as a ground agent," Added Bruce. Coriander nodded in agreement. She wasn't really the confronting type, anyways. It suited her to be watchful but out of the way, not unlike Hawkeye.

"This is so cool!" Cori spun giddily, feeling the bag press on her back.

"Let's go try it out," Offered Tony, hand on her shoulder as they walked to the training room. Hawkeye was waiting inside with a full quiver of arrows.

"Figured out how to get our training in," He smirked at Coriander. What, was he going to try and shoot her out of the air? Clint really _was _a douche!

"Okay, so how does this thing work?"

"It has a chip in it…and wires, so you should be able to control it with your mind." Tony motioned for her to try. Coriander was a bit tired and didn't know if she had the stamina to think. She'd been ripped from sleep at the four AM hour, danced for two hours, and her only source of food had been ruined by Clint. Her stomach rumbled impatiently, demanding sustenance to maintain her excited state of mind. While her mind was excited at the idea of flying, her body wasn't.

Her body wanted food and sleep.

Coriander felt stretched thin between a hungry stomach and sleepy body, but found herself fluttering shakily into the air. She cut her hand on one of the blades while trying to keep her hair out of the way, terrified about it getting caught, and dropped to the ground like a rock when she lost her concentration. The cut stung, and began to bleed, but she didn't care. Her hair was saved _and_ she had hovered in the air for a few seconds; it was _so _worth the pain! Bruce immediately dispatched Tony to retrieve the gauze and ointment, pulling out one of his shirttails to impede the bleeding.

"I've had worse," Promised Coriander as Bruce began to fret.

"Your ability to get hurt worries me."

"Is that all? I figured you'd be happy about more chances to see me," Joked Coriander as Tony returned with gauze and ointment. Bruce gave Coriander an unimpressed look before dropping the bloodied shirttail and applying the ointment. He wrapped her hand, ignoring the pulse of rage making its way to his head while Clint made kissing noises in the background. Coriander wasn't happy about it, either. _I need something to shut you up_, thought the girl as she looked around for something with technology in it.

The radio was in here but she wasn't sure _where _that was. Aside from that, she didn't want to deafen all of them…just Clint.

_Control board for targets detected. Would you like to link to it?_

_Yes_, Cori replied with a smile. It was a smile that would be mistaken as gratitude for Bruce patching her up.

_Would you like to see a map of all targets in the room?_

_Of course_, Cori responded, knowing there would be a sizeable map to view. Those things had been nearly everywhere when Steve had trained her! Maybe if she was lucky she could chase Clint with one. That was her plan, after all. Red specks – targets – lit up like strung out rings of Christmas tree lights, covering the room like planet orbitals.

Greenish-orange dots indicated people. Four were in the room, and Clint was easy to pick out because he stood next to no one. _Activate a few targets near the greenish-orange figure on the far left_, ordered Cori. The kissing noises stopped as Clint jumped in surprise, emitted a caw-like noise, and back-flipped away. Tony giggled madly like a child.

"They should've called you 'Crow'!" Laughed Tony, "Has anyone ever heard you scream like that?"

"Natasha, maybe." Coriander smirked. Clint scowled, climbing up the punching bag hanging from an iron post bolted to the wall. He crouched atop it, treating it like a nest. She shrugged the device off, hugging it to her stomach as the wings folded back in. Seeing his opportunity, Clint fired a blunt arrow towards the young girl.

It connected sharply with her right butt cheek and Coriander growled. That fucking _hurt_!

"Have Dr. Banner treat _that_!" Clint purred with satisfaction. Tony grinned and Coriander pierced him with a simmering glare for doing such a thing in her presence. Bruce flushed a noteable shade of crimson and looked to the ground. Okay, well, maybe he looked at Coriander's butt first but his eyes ultimately met the ground!

"_Are_ you going to have Dr. Banner treat that?" Wondered Tony.

"Hey, hold this, will you?" Coriander held up the backpack. Tony grabbed it, fixing to repeat his question. She glared intensely at the bag, feeling a fuzzy pain created from hunger and fatigue force whatever concentration she had into the device. The wings shot back out and fluttered quickly, rocketing Tony towards the ceiling, back-first.

"_Apagar_!" Wheezed Tony from the ceiling. Coriander felt the connection sever as the backpack shut down and contracted into its unsuspecting base form. He hit the ground solidly and groaned, but had endured worse as Iron Man.

"How'd you do that?" Coriander inquired, pouting because her fun had been ruined.

"Tony and I installed a voice-activated shutdown in case of an emergency," Bruce informed. "It's Spanish for 'shutdown'."

Well wasn't _he _just a smart cookie? Yes, yes he was. That's why Coriander admired him. She liked GIGs, or "guys in glasses". "Interesting," Commented Coriander idly as she rubbed her throbbing butt cheek. She didn't _mean _to rub it in front of him, but it _hurt_!

Bruce's cheeks heated again. He realized Coriander was in pain but…she was touching herself. Her toned-but-chubby-looking butt, no less! Hulk may be a 'breast' man but Bruce was relatively sure he was a 'butt' man. "Well, if you make a serving tray with artificial intelligence that can get me snacks from the pantry I'll love you forever," Grinned Coriander, "because I'm hungry and I'm going to eat!"

He knew it was a joke but his knees couldn't tell that. They still turned to jelly. Could she really love him forever? Bruce managed a small laugh and a nervous shuffle as she walked out.

"Really man?" Called Barton, clearly disapproving of his nervous reaction.

"Bruce, you gotta step it up!" Warned Tony, "The Avengers are bold! Earth's heroes! You can't do _that _– whatever that was – and be an Avenger!"

"Are you aware that I can give you _both _an embolism and cover it up?" Bruce asked rhetorically. Barton whistled at the heady threat. Okay, so Bruce _did _have some balls!

"Don't mess with the Doc!" He called, making a bird-like screech as he arranged his fingers like a talon. Or a claw…Bruce couldn't tell which.

_Yeah, _Bruce adjusted the collar of his shirt as he walked out of the training room. His bloody shirt needed to be changed. _Don't mess with me_, mused the doctor. No one _could _mess with him when he had his eye on something; all throughout high school and college his teachers complimented his unwavering focus. His determination.

Now _he_ was priding himself on it, enjoying how easily he brushed things off as he continued the hesitant cat-and-mouse game with Cori. That focus would aid him well in the chase. The reward was worth the time and effort, he thought. Hulk agreed, and in the privacy of his room Dr. Banner silently vowed that he would charm Coriander Henson. _To hell with the age difference and Adult Bruce! _Dr. Banner thought rather boldly as he slipped into a new, powder blue shirt and flattened the collar after buttoning it up.

He was older, but lean. Still had all of his hair – as curly as it may be – and showed no signs of balding. Bruce thought he made a rather nice catch. The only test he wanted to conduct, the only one he cared about, was whether or not he could catch Coriander Henson.


	10. Stop the Presses

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to La Bella Figura (welcome!), SophiaStark, and Misplaced Levity for reviewing!

To La Bella Figura: Although I've read part of that series, no, it is not that Jace, haha! I just like the name Jace, and like making especially talented, snarky men blonde in my stories.

To SophiaStark: Glad you enjoyed it, and I took a look! OH. MY. GOD. It was cool :D.

To Misplaced Levity: No problem, glad you could review now! Haha, good to know you like my updating. The tributary show will probably be in one of the next two chapters, depending on where I can fit it in! Writing Tony/Cori smugness (especially with the bag) was also my favorite part! :D.

* * *

Nine: Stop the Presses

The smell of food on the table met Coriander at the door when she came home from dance practice. Her mouth watered as sausage hit the pan. It dulled all functionality and commonsense. She didn't even apologize to Clint as the bag swallowed his foot upon landing. "Hey Squirt!" Tony smirked, surprised to see her alert at all as she piled sausage and egg onto a plate.

With a napkin in front of her mouth, Coriander mumbled something of a greeting. "Eat up!" Encouraged Tony, "You'll be busy today!"

"Doing what?"

"Entertaining the masses of New York." He replied, leaving her confused.

"I'm sorry?" Coriander blinked, stealing a piece of toast before Clint could go for a slice with a buttered knife. Just to get on his nerves. If he hadn't shot her in the ass yesterday she wouldn't have done it.

"Apparently someone's been giving you trouble at the dance studio," Tony paused to glare at her lightly because she hadn't told him. Coriander rolled her eyes, wondering if Bruce was to blame or if Tony had gotten the information himself. Being Tony Stark, he could do things like that. "And complained to the wrong person. The media wants to see if you really _were _bitten by an alien."

"Joy," Murmured Coriander dryly. Her bite mark was healing quite well; soon she wouldn't have anything to show.

"It'll feel like joy," Assured Tony, "I'll get'cha set up."

"Set up for _what_? What do I have to do?" Asked Coriander as she contemplated stealing a piece of bacon and gave into the temptation.

"Talk to the press, answer their questions, pose for pictures, and maybe flash your heroic scar." Shrugged Tony.

"I'm not photogenic," Coriander began to panic. She wasn't comfortable around strangers. Much less people who would be recording her every move and taking unwanted pictures of her!

"They can edit the footage they take," Quipped Tony as he became aware of her attempts to bow out. That wasn't about to happen! If it did, he'd have a slew of reporters camped outside of Stark Tower; that would make doing anything with Pepper near-impossible. It might also scare Steve and Thor if they decided to learn more about modern times.

She began to cough. "Must be catching something from one of the guys at the studio," Coriander coughed again. It was so fake that she hoped Tony would appreciate the effort and laugh hard enough to excuse her. He was amused, but wasn't pardoning her.

"Dr. Banner, has Cori shown signs of a cold?"

"Nope."

"You suck, Bruce!" Pouted Cori.

"Tony's made me go when I didn't want to, so you get that same honor." Smiled Bruce, enjoying watching her pout.

"Some honor," Coriander snorted before finishing off her scrambled eggs and putting her dishes in the sink.

"It'll be an honor after you see what I've arranged to get you ready," Tony promised as he took Cori by the arm and led her to the living room. "JARVIS, is Sandra still on hold?"

"_Yes sir. Shall I put her through now?_"

"Please," Tony straightened his posture before a woman in her forties with curly auburn hair appeared. Judging by the lag and pixelated look, Coriander assumed she had a video link with Stark Tower. "Hi Sandra!" Grinned Tony brightly.

"Tony, how are you?" _Holy shit she sounds like Fran Drescher, _thought Coriander while stepping back to save her ears. Sandra was loud, too. "Is this the survivor?" Sandra's purple frames took up the screen as she bobbed her head back and forth, trying to scan Cori with her blue eyes.

"Yep!" Tony nodded. "So what comes to mind? You and Mimi have to agree because Mimi's her makeup artist."

"I have a makeup artist? Why—"

"Keep your mouth closed, hun. Talkin' makes your body move." Instructed Sandra. "What's your measurements, doll?"

"Last I checked? Uh…B42 in the chest, 24 inches in the waist, and 34 in the hips."

"Okay, good. What about your height? Weight?"

"Five foot six, and about one hundred and twenty-nine pounds."

"Alright. You look pretty lean so I'll make a note of that. Show me your bite mark. Gotta see what kind of area I'm working with…" Sandra readjusted her glasses as Coriander shrugged her left shoulder out of the tee. Turned away from Sandra, she couldn't tell what the older woman thought. Coriander assumed the surprised grunts meant the bite mark didn't look that bad. Or she was just surprised because she was looking at an alien bite mark. Sandra cleared her throat and Coriander turned back around.

"What color are your eyes, hun?"

"Green."

"Mmkay, and I can see your hair is very dark. It works with your complexion. I'll start picking out some clothes and meet you in a half-hour, okay Mr. Stark?"

"Sounds good, Sandra. Thanks, you're a peach!"

"Love you too, hun. I see your suits have gotten better. Pep pickin' 'em out for you still?"

"Yes," Tony flushed slightly. Few people knew Pepper picked out his gala wear. Apparently he'd chosen colors that were too flamboyant before Pepper. She'd somehow managed to dress him with 'sensible' suits that kept him out of the media. He once thought the standard black and white tuxes were too bland, or made him seem older, but he eventually came to accept them.

"See you soon, Tony."

"You too," Replied Tony before the connection fizzled out.

"So why do I have a makeup artist again? And someone picking out my clothes?"

"Because Pep-Pep thinks you could use a pampering after the whole _eye_ thing." Tony explained while signaling JARVIS to open the front door. A woman with midnight black hair collected in a slipping bun staggered in with a huge rolling suitcase. She lifted the brim of her small white hat to look at them both, grinning. "Hi Mimi!" Greeted Tony as the willowy woman clicked across the floor in frosty white heels that complimented the white shrug over her black shirt.

"Hi Tony! Is this Cori?"

"Yep. Coriander, meet Mimi. She'll be doing your hair and makeup."

"Hi Mimi." Coriander shook her hand nervously. She hated meeting new people!

"Oh, so your full name's Coriander? Very fresh!" Complimented the woman with a nod that jangled silver earrings. _That's new_, thought Coriander. No one had ever called her 'fresh' before. 'Clean', maybe, but never fresh. What was she, produce?

"I will see you ladies later," Tony pinched Coriander's good shoulder before nodding to Mimi. "Bruce and I have to go get ready for the press."

"Oh, so I don't have to suffer alone?" Verified Coriander, making Mimi laugh.

"Of course not, Squirt! Bruce is coming as your doctor and I'm coming because I'm awesome."

"He's going because Steve and Thor aren't wise choices to handle certain questions," Added Natasha as she sashayed confidently into the room. No way was she missing this torture-in-progress! At the sleepover it had taken four girls just to get Cori into her room when 'makeup' had been mentioned. She couldn't escape – Tony's orders – and Natasha wanted to see what Mimi would do.

"And that!" Tony pointed to Natasha before spinning on his heel to watch the three girls as he backed into a different room. He'd heard about Natasha causing mischief with the TV, Thor and Steve the other day and didn't want to turn his back on her. Knowing his luck, and her expertise, she'd jam her Russian assassin's thumb into a nerve or pressure point and give him an erection during the press interview. If that was even possible…

"Okay, so first we're going to—oh…" Mimi had started to guide Coriander into the living room where the ottomans and couches sat when she froze. Her hand was buried in Coriander's hair, scrunching it curiously. "We need to wash your hair." Informed Mimi as she quickly pivoted and dragged Coriander towards the nearest sink. She tried to be gentle but time was of the essence!

"Natasha! Natasha, help!" Coriander's eyes were closed as Mimi forced her head down into the sink. It was the nearest location allowing her to wash the girl's hair. Natasha grinned, watching water stream every which way down Coriander's awkwardly curled head. "I feel like I'm being waterboarded!" Gasped Coriander as Mimi scrubbed a second coat of shampoo out of her hair while mumbling something about an oily texture and dry ends.

"Beauty is pain," Assured Mimi as she turned off the water and applied an intense conditioner for Coriander. She pulled a plastic shower cap from her bag and wrestled the girl's wet locks into it. "Go wash your face!" Ordered Mimi as she began to arrange the basic cosmetics. Coriander's eye shadow and lip gloss couldn't be picked out until Sandra arrived with potential outfits. By the time Coriander washed her face and brushed her teeth (just so that wouldn't be asked of her, too) Sandra was wheeling in a hanging rack stuffed with clothes.

"I'm thinking blue, what do you think?" Sandra held up an off-the-shoulder top.

"No. She's got green eyes, see? I like green on her. It'll pop with her hair!" Mimi explained, throwing out one hand to imitate a firework.

"Then we'll do this!"

"No this!"

"But I don't like that…see this here—"

"Oh, okay, I get it! We could pull that off if we had a little bit of gold!"

"I do have gold!"

Her head was spinning with their conversation by the time they picked something for her to wear. "Go change, go change!" Urged Mimi as Coriander barely wrapped her fingers around the shirt that was thrown at her. She started towards her room and Sandra grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around and pointing towards the couch.

"We don't have time for modesty," Said the older woman as Cori blushed and crouched behind the couch long enough to change.

"Is this it?" Coriander smoothed the dark greenish-blue top out curiously. It was a long tunic-styled shirt that hung off of her left shoulder and fit loosely until it reached her hips. At the hips it tightened and gave way to a horizontal pleat design. Her butt was covered, and no trace of her panties could be seen, but she wouldn't feel comfortable sitting in it. Cori estimated the fabric stopped about eight inches above her knees.

"Yes," Mimi hooked the hair dryer in, starting to dry Coriander's hair before it could soak through the shirt. Coriander pulled nervously at the bottom of her shirt as she sat, shivering as the warm air took away from the chill on her skin. It felt weird not to have two shoulders on a shirt. It also felt weird to wear a shirt that could double as an outfit, as short as it may be. Natasha laughed as both beauty members paused at the wild, curling pouf that was Cori's natural hair.

"Needs product," The two stylists didn't skip a beat, riffling through the opened suitcase and a tote bag near the rack of clothes to find something suitable. Coriander didn't know what they put in her hair but it smelled good. Made her hungry; it smelled like Fruit Loops. "Alright," Sandra turned to Mimi, "You flat-iron and I'll get accessories."

"Sounds good."

Why did she feel like a big project being split into bits? Mimi sprayed her hair with something in a smaller bottle, running her fingers through Coriander's hair as the flat-iron warmed. Coriander flinched, kicking her foot instinctively as something approached it. She didn't like people messing with her feet. "It's just me, doll." Sandra informed, "I have to find you some shoes."

"Could you be careful with my feet please? I don't like people touching them."

"I can see that, you're spreading your toes. Relax, hun. Don't fight me."

"I'm sorry, I just—"

"Don't look down, Cori!" Mimi guided her head back up so she could finish the section she was working on.

Coriander wanted to scream. This was too annoying. How did Stark managed to look so composed for these things? How would she know what to say? She hated talking in front of people she didn't know!

Mimi pinned her hair back as she applied Coriander's makeup. Cori felt like a helpless puppet as she obeyed them. Open, close, open, close. Lips out, pucker up. It was enough to make her head spin!

"We're done!" Breathed Mimi.

"With twenty-five minutes to spare." Sandra smiled, patting the frazzled girl on the back. Coriander stood carefully from the cushiony ottoman. Her heels were closed-toe and a subtle gold-yellow that matched her cuff bracelet and earrings. She looked nice but felt like she'd exited a whirlwind. Or barely survived one.

Her green eyes were marked in a smudged brown liner that highlighted the hints of nude-gold eye shadow used on her lids. The nude theme had followed to her lips, with the exception of the clear lip gloss Mimi touched up as she stood. "Okay, done!" Swore Mimi as she held her hands up and away from Cori.

"You actually look your age!" Teased Tony as he breezed out in a greyish-black tux that didn't look any different from the others Coriander had seen him wear.

"I think it looks very Greek," Bruce didn't want to tease her. Neither one of them wanted to go to this thing. Why make it worse by poking fun?

"That's what I thought, too…" Sandra rubbed her chin curiously, evaluating their work.

She looked stunning, though. To him, at least…Tony couldn't see her that way but Bruce could, and he felt nearly suffocated by her.

She looked nervous. Coriander didn't seem emboldened by the fact that she'd just had her wardrobe and makeup professionally done. Bruce appreciated her low-key frame of mind. His heart galloped as he looked at her nude lips, catching the slight shimmer on them as she spoke. It reminded him of that night in the kitchen, and how they'd moved the conversation to his bedroom.

Bruce felt like he was honed in on her lips, to his mortification, but couldn't bring himself to blush. The admiration he had for Cori was equal parts intellectual and primal. Intellectually, he appreciated that she went through with meeting the public (he wouldn't have done it). In a primal sense…well, he appreciated the shortness of the top and let his mind short like faulty wiring at the sight of her long, lean legs. Those were certainly dancer's legs, and he wondered what they could do in those heels.

Cori's shoes closed the two inch height difference between them. They were eye-to-eye and Bruce felt drawn into those wide emerald pools. They made their way towards the ground floor and out onto the sidewalk where a limo waited. Bruce heard her heel bounce oddly off the curb before Coriander even stumbled, and whirled around to catch her. The instinct to keep her from falling, to keep her from getting another wound like the one on her hand, reigned over all.

He worried about the bra-less nature of the shirt as their chests touched. Bruce swallowed. Small bits of padding could be felt against the front of his suit, causing his heart to relax as he deduced the material had padding built into it. No bare contact, not yet. "It's the shoes," Whispered Cori, flushing a deep scarlet as Bruce nodded and let her slip away into the limo.

Tony smirked, catching onto what Bruce had been trying to deny for what felt like forever. While Tony had an idea, he couldn't possibly understand. Bruce had many components – Adult Bruce, Little Bruce, Teenage Bruce, Hulk – to consider as he hashed his way through this emotional maze. He was still trying to decode his wants, himself. Trying to figure out who to listen to.

Coriander swallowed as the limo pulled to a stop outside of Manhattan Municipal Building. Reporters hemmed either side of the limo, already taking pictures. Against the tinted windows of the limo the outside world looked too bright to enter. Tony stepped out first, to save Coriander the fear, and motioned for her to join him as Bruce brought up the rear. Bruce tried not to stare at her long legs, or watch the way her butt swished from side to side, because it could be caught on camera.

This was the first time he liked being behind someone.

Senator Stern awaited them at a podium. He kissed Coriander's hand and she flushed, stepping beside Tony as Bruce received a handshake like the other male. Something in him tightened, and he tried not to grimace in front of cameras. Stern had _no right _to kiss Coriander's hand! To Bruce that didn't seem like being _gentlemanly_; that seemed like Stern getting free lip action!

"We're gathered here today to honor this lovely young woman, Coriander Henson. She is both a fighter and a survivor, and, as I am to understand, a member of the Avengers." Stern gestured to Coriander who kept her hands locked together at the fingers to stave off her shaking. Je_sus_ why were there so many people? Coriander felt like she'd collapse any second because of tachycardia. Bruce would have to give her CPR or something and then…well, he could just give her CPR. That would be alright.

"May we see the bite mark, young lady?"

"Sure," Cori turned around, relieved by the familiar sight of Tony and Bruce's faces. She moved her hair, displaying the bite mark bordered by the fabric of her shirt. Murmurs welled up in the crowd as cameras clicked.

"Did it hurt?"

"What happened?"

"…experienced any abnormalities since the attack?"

Coriander could hardly hear all of the questions. It was hard enough to figure out who was asking them with all the cameras going off in her face!

"I'll let Ms. Henson answer those," Senator Stern graciously stepped aside and offered her the podium. Once Coriander stepped up the questions exploded again. She gripped the sides of the podium as a safety measure in case her knees buckled. Cori was sure she'd hit the stage any minute as her heart hammered in her ears.

"Yes it hurt," Replied Cori as her brain started back up, "has anyone ever been bitten by anything that _doesn't_ hurt?"

"What happened?"

"I was assisting the evacuation of a dance studio when one of the aliens landed on a nearby car, it—"

"What was it doing on the car?"

Now she was just pissed. Did they want to know about her or the alien? Coriander didn't want to be there at all, and when she felt like that she got snippy.

"Because it wanted to tan?" Guessed the girl, obviously sarcastic. "But no, it collided with the car and experienced a brief unconsciousness before waking up and attacking the nearest living thing: me."

"What did you do?"

"Tased it. During the evacuation items were dispensed to the teams. Since the taser was my personal belonging, I took it."

"How many times did you tase it?"

"Five." Answered Coriander without skipping a beat.

"Are you sure?"

"You never forget fighting for your life." She replied coolly, honestly.

"Where did you tase it?"

"Once in the throat, twice in the leg, and twice in its presumed genital area."

"Are you experiencing any abnormalities since the attack?"

"I can answer that," Bruce surged forward. Post-attack information was very sensitive. Fury would have their heads if she divulged anything. "I'm her doctor." Banner slid in front of the microphone, nudging Coriander back with the heel of his dress shoe. He could tell she didn't want to be up there, anyways.

"Is she?"

"None that we can find." Lied Bruce.

"People have expressed concerns about her left eye. What do you have to say about it?"

"There is no concern to be had about her left eye. It's green, just like her other one, and allows her to see." Smirked Bruce, aware that he just gave the best – and possibly most brilliant – smart-ass answer. Well, that _is _what he'd say about her eye!

"I was referring to the markings around it."

"Those, we believe, are a product of her previous brain implant that restored her functionality after a terrible car crash. Mr. Stark and I think that the electrical impulses meant to repair her brain have interfered with some of the genetic coding concerning her veins, thus distorting the color." Tony could tell Bruce winged the hell out of that but admired him for it. Since Bruce had a degree in Nuclear Physics, and a noteworthy hobby of exploring genetics given his ability to be the Hulk, he seemed knowledgeable. He was more than credible enough to fool the press.

"How do you feel about having a new teammate?" The conversation seemed to turn to him, regrettably.

"She's one of the ones that _don't_ bug me," Sighed Bruce, hoping they'd get the hint. Even if they did, he doubted the media would quit. They were ravenous!

"So has your ability to turn into Hulk become more manageable, then?"

"For the moment." Replied Bruce curtly. If they wanted to see the Hulk, that would be no problem. They were already getting on his nerves. It would be understandable if he 'Hulked out', as Tony and Fury liked to call it.

"Do you find it a challenge to control yourself around the other Avengers?"

"Not really. Tony, maybe, but that's because he picks." Grinned Bruce. It was true, but it wasn't all bad. "I'm glad for it though because it gives me a chance to steel myself against persistence." He expounded.

"Persistence is a good thing! These guys wouldn't have a job without persistence!" Tony approached the podium and threw his arm out, referencing the sea of reporters. They laughed, and Bruce took that as his cue to step back near Coriander. He felt something relax in his chest as he did so. Good, out of the spotlight!

"Thanks for covering me," Smiled Coriander as she refrained from moving her lips. If she didn't move her lips, didn't give any indication that she and Bruce were having a conversation, nothing embarrassing would be caught on camera. No speculation could be made about what they were saying.

"No problem," Bruce would've patted her on the back but it would be his luck that a camera would catch that. "I hate these things, too."

"I'm hungry, Bruce. I need to eat."

He initially thought she was shaking from nervousness but decided it could be from food deprivation, also. She hadn't had much of a chance to eat that much when Tony sprung the news about the media on her. All of that had burned up now, or so he assumed. It was taxing on the body and mind to endure stressful situations.

"We'll get something. Tony's bound to run out of air soon."

"As nice as it is to talk to you guys, I have other matters to get back to." Tony smiled to the crowd. "So if I could, before we leave, have Dr. Banner and Ms. Henson join me, we'll give one more opportunity for pictures before leaving." Bruce and Coriander stepped up, baring the detonation of countless camera bulbs.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Stark. You too, Dr. Banner. It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Henson." Senator Stern shook their hands as they walked down the steps back towards Tony's limo.

"You also," Smiled Coriander Bruce could tell that smile was thin because of hunger. She looked seconds away from biting his head off, actually. The thought of Coriander being able to bite anyone's head off made him want to laugh. If he did, though, _he_ might get that look. Walking to the limo proved challenging; there were no security guards to speak of and no velvet ropes.

Hands reached out, bodies swarmed together, squeezing closer. Coriander didn't see anyone to slap but was pretty sure she'd just gotten pinched. A young man fell between her and Bruce as Tony held open the limo door. She leaned forward to help him up, thinking he'd been shoved, and cried out in disgust when a disposable camera flashed near the underside of her dress. "Creep!" Hissed Cori as he crawled back into the crowd before she could stomp on him.

Satisfied that he'd crawled away, she resumed walking. Until she met with Bruce's chest. _Ah, so _that's _why he ran away_, Mused Coriander as her heart accelerated in her chest. His eyes were a swirling mix of brown and neon green, but still gorgeous. Hulk wasn't happy, or Bruce was nearing the tipping point.

She didn't know which.

_HULK WANT SMASH!_ Roared the Hulk in Banner's mind. Banner agreed, but had to remember the other innocent people around them.

"Easy Bruce," Soothed Coriander. "Let's get back to the limo. I'm starving!" She linked arms with him, guiding him towards the limo. He eventually complied after Coriander hung nervously off his arm for a few minutes. Tony shut the door, effectively saving the reporters from Bruce's heated glower. "Feed me, Tony!" Demanded Coriander.

"What do you—"

"I don't care! Feed me!"

They stopped at the nearest fast-food joint, a Burger King, and placed an order. Once Tony realized that it was eleven fifteen he went ahead and ordered lunch for the rest of the tower. No muss, no fuss! It was the cheapest way to feed Thor, also. Natasha and Pepper were getting tired of running to the grocery store every three days.

Coriander had a spicy chicken sandwich with fries and Bruce ate a double cheeseburger (and enjoyed smashing it like a human head to extinguish his rage) while Tony enjoyed a whopper. Their order of eight triple whoppers, one double whopper combo, two chicken BLT salads, one ranch crispy chicken wrap, three orders of fries, four sets of onion rings, and five bags of apple slices was ready by the time they left. Full of food, Cori felt docile again. "I'm happy," She patted her protruding stomach. Tony laughed as Bruce eased his way out of the booth; the cheeseburger had been filling as a meal and useful as a stress reliever.

He offered the driver one of Thor's triple whoppers – would he really notice? Tony was sure had never had one, anyways – but was declined. Apparently they were serious about their shifts and cleanliness. Coriander lounged blissfully against the seat, tempted to lay down, and grinned like a sunning cat. Food was her favorite thing in the world…if food was her boyfriend she'd love him forever. Until she ate him, then she'd be blamed for murder.

"Honey, I'm home!" Called Tony as he came through the door with Burger King bags. It didn't really apply, as most of his housemates were male, but he got a hint of acknowledgement from Natasha. Grant it, it was an eye roll, but it counted. Pepper smiled; she'd taken a few days off in case Tony wanted to have more private time. He began to lay out the items, grouping them in accordance to who he'd bought them for.

"I'm glad you have returned, Tony!" Thor clapped him on the shoulder hard enough to send him into the kitchen table. "Ah, more examples of your tiny Midgardian food!" Thor scooped up a triple whopper. "You have bestowed upon us a large amount of food. Are we feasting?"

"We can," Shrugged Tony. "Squirt did good at her first public appearance!" Tony nudged Coriander, who waved him off, and picked a few onion rings off the top of the nearest order.

"Yeah," Laughed Clint, "She's already in the news!"

"What are you—"

**AVENGERS ASS-EMBLE**, read the caption under the picture of…her ass. Coriander's face turned a deep, dark red as she dropped the onion ring. Always a hunter, and bored, Clint slid across the living room floor to catch it before it fell. He laughed at Cori as he rolled away and jumped up from his crouch to take what he wanted from the kitchen table.

"THAT IS BULLSHIT!" Yelled Cori, glaring at the TV. "MY ASS DOESN'T BELONG ON TV! THAT GUY TOOK THE PICTURE UNLAWFULLY! I WANT HIM SUED! SUED! REDACT THAT!"

If Bruce ever had any curiosities about seeing Coriander angry, those were now being answered. The large TV groaned, its picture diced by stripes of static as the digital signal was mangled. The lights flickered overhead. Clint jumped back from the microwave warming his double whopper and fries as it exploded. "Save my awesome stuff, Bruce!"

Why did _his_ stuff always have to be ruined? First his tower, and now his electronics!

"Why can't you?"

"Because I'm going to call the media!" Replied Tony as he tried to get JARVIS to respond. For the moment his signal was scrambled, and Tony could only catch every other syllable. Tony settled for using his cellphone as Bruce sized Coriander up, trying to figure out how to approach her.

"What do you think I can do?"

"Didn't you learn some stress-management techniques in India?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Isn't anger and stress kind of the same thing?"

"Well, I would assume—"

"Great!" Tony raced out, treating the wildly opening and shutting door like a swinging blade. He managed to dive through it and land safely on the other side with his phone.

Bruce licked his lips and turned to Cori.

"I can tranq her if you want," Offered Clint.

"No, don't _tranq_ her!" Bruce frowned. That was the wrong thing to do in this situation. He willed himself to change into the Hulk, grabbing Coriander in one big hand as he lumbered towards the lab. She couldn't hurt him.

"Put me down! I have every right to be mad!" Coriander couldn't free her arms but knew if one of them were available she'd be pointing at Hulk. He snorted in response, ruffling her straightened, glossy hair with air.

"Cori be good." Hulk demanded as he crouched and leaned sideways to get into the lab. He sat carefully on the floor and held her up to his eyes. This is where they'd first met. "Cori no be mad," Hulk stroked her hair but quit, not liking how different it felt. That wasn't how Cori's hair usually felt; this wasn't how Cori usually _looked_, either.

He opened his hands, joining them together so Cori would have a bigger area to sit. Her legs were long and pale against his hands. Soft, too. "Well, Cori _is _mad!" She pouted, laying down on one side instead of sitting Indian-style since she didn't want to flash Hulk. Hulk brushed a finger down her side, thinking it would help her relax like last time.

"Cori no be mad. Tony fix. Banner want fix, too."

"Then why are you here?" Teased Coriander. Hulk smiled. She'd smiled at him and gave him a really sharp, curious look that Banner liked.

"Banner need Hulk get you in lab."

"Was Banner scared to do it himself?"

"Banner not want Cori kick him. Hulk not hurt like Banner." Cori held her arms up, wanting Hulk to put her on his shoulder. His voice carried easily but being on his shoulder would save her from shouting. Or doing what felt like shouting. He picked her up by the back of her dress and she yelped, covering her panties. Hulk just chuckled.

"Hulk see when Banner see in kitchen. No need hide. You see Hulk no shirt!" Pointed out Hulk as he folded one big, green finger over her legs to keep her on his shoulder. He didn't need her falling backwards to the floor. That would hurt! Coriander grabbed a patch of dark hair over his ear as a safety precaution. Hulk gave a quiet mewl.

She scratched his hair experimentally, receiving the same noise. Cori grinned. Hulk _liked _having his hair messed with! It was cute. Coriander worked her way around his ear, scratching as she went.

When she reached his earlobe the green Avenger whined in protest. He cocked his head to the right and rubbed his ear along his shoulder, nearly bucking her off in the process. Amused, Coriander ran her fingers over his ear. "Cori stop!" Frowned Hulk.

"Someone doesn't like their ears being messed with!" She said as she used both hands to pull his earlobe.

"Cori stop!" Repeated Hulk, smashing his ear against his shoulder again.

"I'm gonna get it! I'm gonna get your—"

"Cori stop or make Hulk spank!" At his warning Coriander laughed so hard she almost fell off his shoulder. Hulk, spank her? How could he? He was too big!

"Hulk not spank Cori. Hulk too big." Coriander wiped her eye as the giggles died. Hulk picked her off his shoulder, holding her between two fingers as he eyed her with a seriousness that looked out of place for him. It looked more suited for…Banner. The way his eyebrows were cocked challengingly _oozed _Banner! She'd go far enough to say that Banner was actually coming out on Hulk instead of the other way around, for once.

"Hulk find way…" Promised the giant as he flashed a crooked grin composed of a few white teeth. Yeah, that was definitely Banner. Like…inner Banner. Perverted Banner. Coriander was tempted to laugh again but didn't; he looked serious.

"Fine. Cori stop."

"Good. Cori be nice. Banner want help. If Cori no good then Hulk come back. Cori hear Hulk?"

"Yes, Hulk."

He set her on the examination table before his skin began to shudder. Before long Bruce was standing there, looking less haggard than he did the last time they'd met like this in the lab. "So," Breathed Bruce as he ran his fingers through his hair, "about those stress management techniques…"

"Do they include spanking?" Joked Cori, folding her arms over her chest as she grinned proudly at him. Bruce flushed.

"No, but we can find out. I'm always up for research. I had something else in mind, though." Bruce whispered with a saucy grin, crossing the small distance to stand in front of her. Cori flushed, to his pleasure.

"What did you have in mind?" Cori was afraid to ask, startled by his closeness. Her thoughts were minced and her body trembled as she took in his musky scent. His naked skin. His lips were so close that she could feel him breathe.

"This," Murmured Bruce as he lifted her chin and kited his lips across hers. It was a shy kiss, their first kiss together, and Bruce felt that quick brush unlock something powerful in him. His stomach curled, heated, and hardened with Teenage Bruce's excitement, Little Bruce's curiosity about being accepted and loved, and Hulk's primal desires. Bruce felt a switch being thrown in his brain, and felt his senses hum in demand of more Coriander. More affection.

He treated her with titillating, painfully brief kisses. The numbing feeling in his brain – equal parts elation and dumbfounded-ness – was never-ending, even when he took his mouth from hers for that one torturous second. Bruce felt his inner male crawl forward from the depths of his uncultured boldness as he slipped a hand under one of Cori's legs and hooked it around his waist so he could walk into her. A satisfied grunt rumbled in his chest as he finished kissing away all of her lip gloss. It wasn't a rough ravaging, but it was enough to sate him for the time being.

The lab door open and Bruce pulled away. Coriander felt dazed and tingly. Her thoughts were slowly reforming as her body refilled with oxygen. "Picture redacted…s'all I wanted to say!" Tony's shit-eating grin said he wanted to say more but knew better. Bruce considered going back to kissing Coriander, but the moment had been ruined.

Without that moment, that magic, he could feel his heart hammering frightfully in his chest. It was ruining his confidence.

"Good technique." Coriander patted his bare shoulder and Bruce chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Maybe I can help you hone it." Bruce flushed as she felt her heel rub against the inside of his right leg. They were that couple that didn't need to question their status, apparently. If they were, they were obviously unconventional. Most people would say 'Are we dating?' but Bruce didn't need to ask that, or contemplate it, because Coriander offering her services to hone his 'stress-reduction' technique had confirmed what he'd been wondering for quite some time.

"Maybe you can." Laughed Bruce.


	11. Emotional Misdiagnosis

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to all of the lovely reviews! We are one away from forty and I am super shocked! La Bella Figura, Misplaced Levity, SophiaStark, and Midnight Chamber reviewed chapter ten. Crysith commented on chapter five (welcome, newcomer!)

To La Bella: I don't know if you could call it 'action', as everyone's definition is different, but there will certainly be drama. Namely revenge-based drama. It's a painfully slow build-up, I'm afraid, but you should be seeing more 'drama' within the next two chapters or so. I thought about giving her more superpowers but didn't know if that would be appropriate/make her seem like a Mary Sue/happen upon 'god-modding' so I think this might be the extent of it in case I subtly include something else.

To Misplaced Levity: Haha, glad you liked it! Twenty-five chapters? I'm not that cruel, and I don't think I could write that many chapters for this story, anyways!

To SophiaStark: Well, wait no longer! Hope this meets any expectations you might have.

To Midnight Chamber: Hopefully you won't die with this chapter because it definitely has some 'feels' :/.

* * *

Ten: Emotional Misdiagnosis

Her schedule was packed; between On The Heel of Success and her ever-revolving trainers, Coriander was lucky she had time to think! From five to eight in the morning she had the Class A dancing block, at about eight fifteen she'd come home for breakfast, and by nine she'd be training again. She'd survived her first week of Avengers training and felt empowered because of it. By ten, or ten thirty depending on the teacher, she'd be done. The closest shower was usually rumbling, courtesy of her, by ten thirty-six, and she stayed in there for a good half-hour to erase the grime and ease her aching muscles.

At eleven fifteen she had a small snack and relaxed into a vegetative state before the TV. Just because she could, and because Cori thought she needed some downtime. Come eleven thirty she was doing warm-ups and practicing for the tributary show (again, to hone her movements) in the training room. Twelve songs left a demanding schedule and challenging pace if the instructors wanted to be ready in two months, three tops. Coriander lost herself easily in the music, enjoying the deep rumble of the hip-hop as it shook the walls and concrete floor. She followed the choreography a few times, only enough to make sure she'd repeated the steps in order, before deviating towards whatever move her heart desired.

This often resulted in her taking long skips across the open area before pirouetting or summersaulting. Cori felt like she had no bones, and no stress, when she danced. No agenda – just dance. Just flowing, letting her body float seamlessly into the next unplanned move. "Mute." Cori turned, surprised to see Bruce watching from the front of the room with his hands behind his back.

"It's two," He smiled, "You're due for a late lunch."

"Seems like you are, too." Smirked Coriander. If he was anything like Tony, which he was (just more humble), Pepper had to drag him out of the lab to make sure he ate. Bruce gave a noncommittal shrug as Coriander blotted at her skin with a towel. Did she smell? She hoped not.

Nothing had been left over from Burger King so they had to make their own meal. It wasn't a chore and Coriander actually enjoyed the challenge. Enjoyed the lunchtime quiet settling over the house. A mountain of dishes sat in the sink, leaving Coriander to believe that Steve, Natasha, or Pepper had cooked for Thor. He never stopped eating but looked content for the moment, dozing on the couch as Steve watched the History Channel.

She felt in a world away as she made a sandwich. It was silly, really. Coriander could almost pretend that she and Bruce were making a meal before spending a little time alone. That's what it seemed like. The idea was enforced by the way Bruce seemed to move – slowly, intimately – as he made his burrito.

He acted like there was no one in the house but them. Banner was being subtle about it, of course. Coriander could tell that by the way his fingers walked a bit too close to hers as he looked for a knife to spread hot sauce and mayonnaise across the tortilla. She caught him in the act again as he spooned scrambled eggs over the spread, bumping her lightly with his hip. It was a playful bump, equal parts affectionate and coy.

Coriander bumped him back, laughing at the silliness of it all as she nibbled on her sandwich. Bruce dropped a piece of cheese over the eggs before putting a few pickle slices on the side. It was an unorthodox meal but it was good. He'd been craving breakfast despite having it earlier. Tony breezed into the kitchen, coffee cup in hand, and backtracked to poke his head curiously back into the room.

"Just making sure I wasn't interrupting," Teased Stark as Bruce bit into his makeshift burrito, intent on ignoring his friend. He liked Tony and everything…but he purposely tried to stir him up. Hadn't he Hulked out enough for him yet?

"You're interrupting my eating," Grinned Coriander as she wiped her lips on a napkin and disposes of the neglected crust.

"Don't eat too much." Warned Tony, his famed mischievous grin breaking out.

"Why?" Coriander dared to ask.

"We are going celebrating, Squirt! To commemorate you surviving your first official week of training, we're going out to dinner! At seven…maybe, I'm thinking seven. Do you like seven? I think we'll do seven."

"Can't we just eat in? It's cheaper."

"I'm not worried about expense." Tony leaned nonchalantly against the vertical cupboards that were nearly empty, thanks to Thor.

"Can I pick the place?" Inquired Coriander, seeing Tony's confident patience stay strong. He was simply waiting her out until she agreed, anyways.

"I don't see why not…"

"Olive Garden." Said Coriander without skipping a beat.

"Make it known, Bruce, that Cori has an unhealthy affinity with chicken Alfredo. You have competition."

"Only if alfredo was a person!" Coriander rolled her eyes, picking up a bag of chips. She did like a good Alfredo sauce. It was creamy, cheesy, and just _mouthwatering_.

"Not true, remember when Pepper caught you in the pantry with the sauce?"

"Um, excuse you! Totally out of context!" Exclaimed Cori, flushing a deep, rich red. Bruce quirked an eyebrow, amused. What could be so scandalous about Cori eating Alfredo? "She said I could use the rest to dip food in, and I did!"

"And when it got too low, what did you do?"

"Used a spoon," Shrugged Cori, not sure where this was heading. She enjoyed cheese sauce, so what? According to Pepper, Tony liked to treat the butter for crab legs like a swimming pool. He liked to cannonball the bits of crab, apparently, and pop the drenched pieces in his mouth like they were pieces of popcorn instead.

"And when you couldn't use the spoon?"

"Held it upside down. I wasn't about to waste it!" Snorted Cori. Leave it to Tony, and his ridiculous fortune, to think throwing something out before its prime was alright.

"Which left you looking like…?"

"Like I had Alfredo sauce all over my face."

"And Alfredo sauce is what color?"

"White, but – oh, Tony! You're ridiculous!" Coriander nearly bit her lip and swallowed the chip – _whole!_ – in her mouth. Tony cackled evilly.

"I'll leave you with the visual." Stark patted Bruce on the shoulder as he saluted them before disappearing. _Honestly, the nerve of him! _Cori scowled.

"I know where you live!" Called Cori, at a loss where a smart retort was concerned. She huffed, settling back against the counter to finish her chips.

"So, you like—" Started Bruce teasingly.

"Don't even, Bruce!" Coriander pointed at him as if it would stop him. He probably _would _make a joke about it, wouldn't he? She tried to think of one suitable for pickles in case he did, but came up with nothing. It occurred to her that he ate pickles, which were green, and she could tease him about enjoying eating green things, but didn't want to bring out the Hulk. The threat of being spanked still hung fresh in her mind; Coriander was far from scared but didn't want to know _how_ he'd go about that.

"I'm not," Chuckled the scientist. She smiled at how he seemed to be opening up, and how that opening up made him glow. It was cheesy, men glowing, but Bruce really seemed to be flourishing. He smiled with greater confidence, showing beautiful teeth, and had an adorably shaggy look going on because of his curly hair. His glasses were sexy, too.

"Well what _are _you going to do?" Wondered Coriander.

"Stand here with you for a little while," Smiled Bruce as his arms crept around her waist. He was a reserved person, and normally would've tried something like this in a safer place, but didn't see the harm. Thor and Steve were absorbed in the TV, Natasha was probably training, Tony looked to be returning to his business, and Clint was likely with Natasha. They were in the clear!

"Oh yeah?" Cori looked up at him with bright green eyes and a smile.

"Yeah," Bruce bent down slightly to kiss her forehead. She gave a breathy laugh, leaning up to kiss his lips fleetingly like yesterday. It was innocent, soft, and gentle. The pangs of animalistic want and greedy desire were dulled in Banner, as he'd had his initial taste yesterday, and that was alright. He felt fine to indulge in the shy pleasure.

He felt fine until kissing noises were heard. Bruce pulled away, reluctant to do so since her lips were warm and soft. Clint strutted to the fridge, laughing, and puckered his lips at Bruce as he passed. A little annoyed – a bad thing to be when brilliant – Bruce reached behind him to the sink where the nozzle sat upright, and pulled it out to spray his housemate. "Alright, alright, _al_right you can stop! I don't need a bath!" Clint's muscles tightened against the flow of stinging water, Bruce holding the hose in one hand as he kept the water running with the other.

"Seeing as how you didn't learn the last time when Cori interfered, I'd thought I'd try my approach." Mused Bruce as he put the little hose back up. Clint exhaled through his nose, shirt plastered to his body. A puddle quickly formed at his feet as he wrung it out.

"Most people cool off by wetting a towel, Barton." Natasha commented as she walked into the kitchen in search of an icepack. She'd gotten a little too excited when kicking the punching bag. If she didn't apply ice to the cramp in her right thigh she'd regret it tomorrow. Barton mimicked her in a high-pitched mewl before sarcastically laughing along, opening the freezer for her as he stepped away. Unaware of the water puddle, Natasha reached up to retrieve an icepack while the heel of her combat boot skipped across the floor.

Barton, ever vigilant, saw her slip. He caught her, pulling Natasha away from the hazardous area by throwing her against his chest. Bruce and Coriander took immense pleasure in his cherry face. Trained to be quick, Barton fought down the flush on his cheeks. "Most people cool off by wetting a towel, not by running at the guy with a wet shirt," Joked Barton.

Natasha took pride at the fact she could make him hiss 'Ow, fuck!' as she dug her nails into the bend of his knee. Barton had good knees but the body's instinct at being hit in that fragile junction was to buckle. They fell to the floor in a heap. "You were supposed to let me go," Mumbled Natasha from atop Barton, sprawling over him leisurely as if he were a bed and not a person.

"I'll just leave you two alone since, you know, you're wet and on the floor." Coriander stepped away before Clint could take her feet out from under her. Natasha eyed her sharply, like a snake watching its meal, and Coriander took that as the sign to back off. "Yeah…" She looked at them, "I'mma go take a nap!"

"I have things to do in the lab." Bruce mentioned, wary of Natasha and his feet. She'd be the one to trip him, not Barton. Cori and Bruce slipped out of the kitchen, half-curious to see if Natasha and Clint were in any hurry to untangle. It would appear not, as they spent a few tense seconds alone in silence.

"I'm amused. You're secretly evil. It's kind of sexy." Coriander nudged him. Bruce flushed a little, hoping it was a humble embarrassment and not just outright embarrassment. It'd been awhile since someone called him 'sexy'. It seemed almost ill-fitting when he considered his issue with the Hulk and his graying hair.

"Happy to amuse you," Chuckled Bruce, giving a mock bow.

"And _I'm _happy to be goin' to bed. See you when I get up." Cori kissed his cheek, determined to head for her room and take a catnap. "If I don't wake up for a few hours, I'm okay. I'm not dead, just tired." She stretched with a mewl and slight grin.

"I'll check your pulse if I'm really worried." Promised Bruce, catching her joke.

"Sounds good." Coriander pulled on his earlobe as she passed, amused to see Bruce tuck his ear into his shoulder like the Hulk. The curiosity attracted her as she considered how cute he looked in his glasses when he smiled. It completed his doctor look, his scholarly nature, and totally distracted her. Bruce watched her slip away and disappear down the hall like smoke dissolving in the air. _She's something else, _admitted the man as he rubbed his earlobe absently.

It tingled where Cori touched it. He shivered as he rolled the lobe between his fingers, not liking that he messed with his own ears. He'd deduced years ago that it was one of his hotspots, and promptly released it from his grasp as the waves of pleasure ran through his body. Bruce made his way to the lab minutes later, shaking off the prickling sensation as he tried to refocus his mind on work. Five minutes passed and the tingling feeling refused to abate.

Something was wrong, then. The remaining feeling had used his tingling pleasure as a cover or was simply something else. Bruce paused, hands hovering over blueprints of Tony's suit. Why did he have a nagging feeling in his stomach? More importantly, why did it feel like Adult Bruce?

_You haven't been listening to me_, Adult Bruce said, _and watch, you're going to fuck up. Just because you think everything's alright, you're going to overlook something. I warned you. I warned you about her and you wouldn't listen!_ Bruce snorted as if to dismiss the voice. Adult Bruce was technically only in his conscience, so what weight did that have? Or could Adult Bruce influence him like the Hulk? Could Adult Bruce be right? Could the smooth life he was easing into be upended?

That would be his luck, wouldn't it? He was finally starting to settle as a wrinkle arose. It didn't really surprise Bruce, the possibility, because it had been that way even when he was on the run. When he finally got settled, considered enjoying himself, the government showed up and he had to move again. Could that apply here, where problems seemed nonexistent because of Tony Stark and his immense wealth?

A sinking feeling in his stomach said it was possible. He seemed to be standing atop that slippery slope he feared. Bruce felt his foot slide in the lab, and his stomach lurched like he was stuck in a never-ending free-fall as he tumbled down the slippery slope. Adult Bruce had gotten to him, and it would take him a while to come down. If he was lucky, he'd be fine by dinner.

Bruce had always been insecure and he was caught up in those insecurities again. Doubts about his age and his hair nearly deafened him. _Maybe I rushed into this a bit, _He began to consider.

_Maybe you didn't_, Countered Teenage Bruce and Little Bruce soothingly.

_But what if I did?_ Worried Bruce as he scratched his nails through his hair. He exhaled exasperatedly, wanting to get out of the lab. It seemed too loud right now. Bruce wanted to find some place quiet to reorganize his thoughts, a place to figure out where he stood on this 'Coriander' issue. When he came back to his body, pulled away from his thoughts, Bruce found himself peeking into Coriander's room curiously.

She snored loudly enough to match Thor's speaking voice. Bruce couldn't help but grin as he realized his panic brought him here. His feet or his mind – _something _– was overriding Adult Bruce. Trying to make him see what he'd become attracted to…trying to help him see who he was stumbling shyly along with in the world of relationships. Coriander's hair was wrapped around her throat and half of her face like an extension of the corkscrew twisted blankets.

He couldn't see either of her arms, and that led him to believe they were under her pillow like the first time. Why wasn't she freaking out like him? Was she scared at all? _She's probably stable, unlike you, _Adult Bruce pointed out. There were drawbacks to him, weren't there?

Maybe they'd both rushed into this…

_BANNER QUIET! HULK KNOW BANNER LIKE! _BANNER _KNOW BANNER LIKE! BANNER QUIET! _Insisted Hulk. For once, Bruce was happy to have the green powerhouse. He seemed louder than the other pieces of himself. None of them fought with him. _He's right_, Bruce agreed, _I do like her. Maybe I'm just getting cold feet because it's been awhile…_

Cold feet? What was he, a first-time bride? Banner was frustrated with himself. Exercise seemed an appealing way to release the stress. He'd be alright by the time they went out to dinner, or so he told himself. If he wasn't alright, he'd be sore, which would give him something to feel besides anxiety.

* * *

"Eat up, kids!" Encouraged Tony as he sipped coke and poked at his parmesan encrusted tilapia. He'd be drinking wine if he didn't feel their menu was overpriced. There would be drinking, Tony promised them that, but in the safety of his home where Thor couldn't be sued by the restaurant for any shenanigans. Pepper elbowed him, digging into his left side as a reminder that he was in a suave restaurant with other people trying to have a nice night. Cori grinned, chasing a noodle around her plate until it was dripping with Alfredo sauce.

Damn the people that made it! How could something be _that good_?

Across from Coriander sat Clint and Natasha, who were making a game out of stealing off one another's plate. At the moment, Natasha was winning. She had Clint's fork bending back into the table with her knife as she circumvented him to steal more steak gorgonzola-alfredo. Her meal, grilled sausage and peppers rustica, was half-finished. Steve sat to Natasha's right with his bowl of zuppa toscana, saving hers and Clint's food from being sampled by Thor as he tackled a second tour of Italy.

Bruce was glad he sat on the sensible side of the table, Pepper on his right and Coriander on his left. He managed to save a piece of bruschetta before Thor inhaled it all. Pepper and Cori were also guilty of snatching up the appetizer but he didn't mind. Bread was made to dampen the appetite and he wanted to enjoy his lasagna.

A few shy fans approached the table for autographs before they finished dinner. Their waitress was one of them. Coriander was glad they only recognized her from TV. Few had pictures of her since she'd just been revealed yesterday, which was fine to her. Or so she thought; a cluster of kids dressed in eveningwear (_Prom?_ Cori guessed) were waiting outside the door, and one of them lit up like a Christmas tree as she walked past.

She didn't know whether to be confused or mortified when the young man grabbed her by the arm and kindly asked her to sign a picture. Of her ass, the one that Tony had gotten pulled from the TV. Because Cori didn't want to receive hate mail, or death threats, she scrawled something that looked mildly intelligent and slightly resembled her name. The young woman bolted to the car before anyone else could ask her, ducking into the limo as the driver held the door open. Cori slid past Bruce, her pencil skirt rubbing across his knee as she tucked into the available spot by Pepper.

Bruce was thankful for the dark car. It hid his blush. Coriander had essentially sat on his lap for a whole second, but that was enough to get his blood rolling. His pulse rising. Enough to make his body want more, despite the cold fear Adult Bruce stilled him with earlier.

He felt stuck in a fight he couldn't win. How to go against the urges? Could his brain really win every fight? Who was he supposed to listen to? "To the tower!" Cried Tony enthusiastically.

Bruce was sure he meant to say 'to the drinks!' but didn't to maintain tact. Though he'd abstained from drinking and sex since the Hulk and Betty, Bruce was considering alcohol now. Maybe alcohol would shut Adult Bruce up. Those doubts were starting to come back now that everyone had kicked off their shoes, relaxed, and gone for the drinks. Alcohol didn't exactly make a safe environment for people who were in the infancy of their relationship.

Coriander had Shirley Temples, much to his relief. Tony made it himself, which Bruce was suspicious of, but didn't question him as Cori flicked on some dancing music with the point of a finger. It was "Mambo Number 5" and she tried to get him to dance. Bruce wasn't really a dancer, and was even less of a socializer, so after five minutes of gentle heckling she propositioned Steve. She taught him how to dance with the song, and tried again to get Bruce, but gave up when he resisted every round.

It wasn't that Bruce didn't trust her, or didn't want to, he just didn't like this music. It was too loud and bouncy for him. He wanted something more subtle. Cori got Pepper dance twice before Tony dragged her away to be his partner in a drinking game with Natasha and Clint. Steve preferred to remain sober but watched alongside Thor with interest as they played beer pong.

They were left on their own as a result. Bruce took comfort in knowing that he wasn't the awkward one left alone anymore. "Want to see something cool? You know, since you won't dance?" Cori asked.

"Sure," Bruce resisted stuffing his hands into his pockets, feeling slightly guilty as he followed her. He hoped she wasn't mad but…well, he wasn't really a dancer. Not in front of other people. _I wouldn't be able to keep up with you, anyways_, thought Bruce. They walked towards the back of Tony's personal library where an impossibly large window and fine curtains framed a view of Manhattan.

"I'm going to be doing aerial acts in the tributary show," Explained Coriander as she began to climb the sturdy curtains like they were monkey bars and wrap her arms and legs in them. Bruce felt his heart climb in his throat as she climbed well above his head. What was she _doing_? What if she _fell_?

"Cori, I don't think you should—"

"Watch or you're gonna miss it!" Warned Cori as she suddenly let go of one curtain and swung out by her snared right foot, untangling with one curl as she folded around the other curtain, hugging it. "These aren't made of the right material to be doing aerial acts, but that's a taste." Cori winked as she began to shimmy down the curtain.

"If they're not the right material, don't use them!" Breathed Bruce as he held his arms out for her. He'd rather pull her off the curtain than let her fall. Cori made him want to pull his hair out sometimes. Her penchant for getting hurt mixed with her fearlessness and love of dancing proved to be a volatile combination. He just…he didn't want her to get hurt.

Cori began to protest as he grabbed hold of her waist and turned her around. That died when she saw his determined care. Against the backdrop of books and soft reading light Coriander felt her heart melt into a puddle. It was _so_ the perfect theme for a nerdy, caring professor and his student. She brushed a patch of beginning-to-curl hair near his ear and grinned as he drew her close.

Like yesterday, she could feel his breath. Bruce held her in his arms, surprised they weren't giving out in shock, and listened to his heart race. She wasn't dressed as provocatively as yesterday but she was still beautiful. Coriander initiated the kiss this time, keeping it even, and pressed her lips to his. While she admired Bruce, and his gentlemanly ways, it didn't do well for him to give her such small kisses yesterday.

That was like kissing and running, to her.

Bruce felt Coriander unlock that place again, literally feeling the key click in the latch and release his once-dusty responses. A welcoming grunt escaped him as she failed to release his lips. Her mouth was soft, warm, and tasted slightly of cherries and Sprite as she refused to pull away. They shared a few long, innocent kisses before Bruce got the idea to flick his tongue out and taste the cherries and Sprite for himself. She was delicious.

Coriander pulled away, surprised. Her lower lip was healing but it was especially sensitive. She was sure Dr. Banner's tongue had just grazed the wound, too. Bruce looked slightly shocked to see her pulling away. Didn't she start it?

Why pull away when he was _just _getting into it?

"You _licked _me!" Cori gave in to the giggles threatening to erupt. That's essentially what Bruce had done! He licked her! Bruce flushed.

"I didn't _lick_ you," Defended the older scientist, "I…tasted. Experimented. I'm a scientist. It's what I do." He smirked as he regained his composure and defended himself with wit. It may be cheesy but she smiled at it.

"And what did you decide about the results of your experimentation?"

"Inconclusive. I need more testing." Murmured Bruce as he gently threaded his fingers through her silky, still-straight hair and started to kiss her again. His Cori fix was worse than any other fix he'd come to need, like tea, Bruce decided. They eased back into a word of silence, into each other, before Bruce stroked her lip with his tongue again. Coriander cautiously opened her mouth, tasting lasagna and some type of wine as Bruce explored her mouth. Bruce felt his heart flutter, his knees tremble, and his blood roll hotly through his veins as she dipped her tongue beneath his, drawing it back into her mouth long enough to nip at his lower lip like she was kissing it instead of him.

The sound of her mouth as she did that _thing _to his lip was enough to make him tremble. Bruce didn't even know his lips could make him feel that way. He started blindly backing up to the nearest reading chair, knowing that he needed to be seated if she was going to do _that _again. _Please, oh please do that thing with your tongue and your lip and that noise_, pined Teenage Bruce as Bruce felt his heel connect with the leg of his chair. The older man sat, heart thrumming in his chest as she coaxed lusty pangs from his core that threatened to overcome his general softness.

Need. Want. Keep. Love.

Various motivations had Bruce slipping to the floor with her in his arms as the chair proved too confining. The elation could be from the romance, or from the fact that neither one of them had breathed very long since their lips were locked. He didn't know and didn't care. Bruce panted as his partner's lips kissed down the column of his neck. Air was sweet, and brought back the ability to think, but he couldn't form anything coherent because her mouth moved towards his shoulder.

He was still trying to recover from the tingles and heat roused by her moving past his ear. _God_ he hated when people messed with his ears! But that was hot. "I got your ear!" Teased Coriander as she started back up from his shoulder. Bruce mumbled something nonsensical when she shyly nibbled his earlobe and took it between her teeth.

Sensory fucking _overload_! Between the heat of her mouth, the pressure of her teeth, his ear being tortured, and the sexy-evil cackle of glee Coriander released, Bruce didn't know what to think. Didn't know if he could think. An earsplitting crash derailed his train of thought. Something happened in the kitchen, obviously.

It startled Cori, too. To Bruce it sounded like wood smashing. He could only assume Clint had fired at something or Thor accidentally smashed another piece of furniture. The spell was broken and Adult Bruce surged back with a vengeance. Bruce couldn't tell if the pounding in his head was owed to Adult Bruce's lecture or the wine he'd let himself enjoy earlier.

He'd never really been a drinker, even with wine, and that little bit had been enough to throw his body off center. Bruce groaned, sitting up. He straddled his young patient, wincing as firecrackers of pain exploded behind his temples. "Bruce? Are you—"

"No!" Gasped Bruce as the pain intensified. Adult Bruce was throwing a damn party in his head! Smashing, crashing, and inciting an all-out _riot _because he'd been ignored. Teenage Bruce was too stupefied and coasting off the lover's high to defend him. Little Bruce was…well, he didn't know.

Hulk was quiet.

"I'm sorry I…I need to go. I can't do this. Need to think. Need time."

"Did I move too fast? I kind of thought you were sending that signal, so—" Began to explain Cori.

"Not you," Grunted Bruce. "Me…Adult Bruce…Teenage Bruce…just…need time." He promised, standing up to stagger out the door. Bruce needed a quiet place to think. Adult Bruce obviously wanted him in a different setting. Coriander frowned, propping up on her elbows as the door shut behind him. It was the quietest noise she'd ever heard – it didn't even click! – but the echo was enough to splinter her heart.


	12. Music to Make it All Better

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Sorry for the delay. I've had work and am entertaining a friend while she's in town (and made this chapter super long as an apology). Plus I've been working on some of my original stories. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It means a lot; I'm now _well _above the amount of reviews I thought this story would ever get.

I know if this were a real story un-owned lyrics can't be used extensively but I figured readers would want to hear some of the songs from the tributary show. I own none of the songs listed in the story. They belong to their respective creators.

* * *

Eleven: Music to Make it All Better

_"I'm sorry I…I need to go. I can't do this. Need to think. Need time."_

_"Not you…"_

Coriander couldn't sleep – his words haunted her – and took a chance at five thirty the next morning, making her way to the kitchen. Bruce was an early riser, right? That night she fell asleep in his bed, the night of the sleepover, he wasn't there when she got up. She hoped he was awake now because her mind needed answers. He'd mumbled some very contradicting things in the library and Coriander didn't know what to believe.

Bruce whispered 'I can't do this' and it was probably the worst thing Coriander had ever heard. Did that mean they couldn't work? If not, then why did he kiss her? Was she just a plaything for him? But that couldn't be true, she thought, because he'd said 'Not you' which meant it was _him_.

Still, if it was him like he claimed, why did she feel betrayed? Coriander considered avoiding Bruce altogether, giving him time to sort things out while she read a book, but couldn't. It wasn't logical. Tony Stark may have an extensive psychology collection that could help define the problem, but those books couldn't fix it. Bruce could; Bruce had caused the ache in her heart and he would fix it.

To her relief – and regret – Bruce Banner was in the kitchen scratching at growing stubble dominating his chin and cheeks. His eyes looked puffy and bloodshot, illuminated by the microwave light as he pulled out a bowl of oatmeal. "Bruce?" Coriander tried to whisper but his name died out halfway through as her throat closed up. Walking into the kitchen was intense and nervous; far more painful than steps should be. With the way it felt…hell, Cori figured she should be walked over a film of broken glass and needles to reach the breakfast table where he set a cup of coffee next to the oatmeal.

"Cori!" Bruce felt trapped in a fog of disappointment and Coriander's sudden appearance startled him. His senses were lackluster, at best. Nothing had been the same since the library. Adult Bruce faded away shortly after he'd stumbled into his room and inhaled gulps of air. Away from Coriander, away from the romance, he felt like he could breathe.

At that point, sweating lightly on the floor of his own room, Bruce realized that had been some form of a panic attack. The panic attack had left him hypersensitive but very aware. In a rare moment of panic he'd uttered something very damning. He'd torn himself away from her, away from the love his body so desperately craved, but Bruce determined it had been the right thing to do. Internal destruction was better than external destruction.

His therapist said something like that years ago when he was seven. The therapist revealed that he was externally fragile – and therefore could not handle things like public rejection or constant bullying like what he faced at school – but not internally. Internally he was strong. Bruce's main defense mechanism against the trauma of his childhood was to suppress memories and create personalities to regulate his social interactions.

It mimicked MPD but didn't meet the necessary criteria, such as a loss of memory when the other personalities took over. Dr. William Johnson first met Bruce at age seven, and documented only one personality: Little Bruce. Little Bruce in no way changed Bruce's behavior, but did alter the way he spoke. His sentences lost their complexity and intelligence as reverted back to something broken, scared, and quiet. He made a note that Little Bruce was hesitant of affection and hated loud noises but Ms. Drake said that was nothing out of the ordinary because normal Bruce was that way, too.

Throughout their sessions Little Bruce came to trust him. He wouldn't curl up under the chair or hide behind the potted plant in the corner. Little Bruce was nothing short of a sad boy who could recall numerous fights between the late Mrs. Banner and her husband. Unlike regular Bruce, Little Bruce was very eager to show Dr. Johnson minor things. That eagerness and his advanced skills (skills beyond his true seven-year-old self) clued Dr. Johnson in on his vast intellect.

He recommended Bruce be officially tested. Once the results came back that his patient had a very high IQ, Dr. Johnson insisted more sessions. The effects of incredible intelligence on this not-quite-MPD would need to be studied. Need to be accounted for. Every Thursday for the next seven years, Dr. Johnson and Bruce Banner met. A second personality had finally revealed itself: Teenage Bruce.

Teenage Bruce always ranted about the unfairness of school and being overworked as a defense. Like Little Bruce, Teenage Bruce referred to the normal Bruce, the base Bruce, as "Bruce". Dr. Johnson recorded with mild amazement that the other personalities seemed to know they weren't Bruce. Not the real Bruce, but pieces of him. Through the use of Teenage Bruce, though, Ms. Drake noted an immense improvement in Bruce's social life.

He had few friends, but he had friends. They met regularly at his aunt's house for chess and model experiments. Debated the best _Pac-Man _strategies and spent many hours testing them. Dr. Johnson considered that an amazing turnaround from the boy Bruce had been seven years ago. In fact, his growth essentially signified that the trauma was no longer hindering him.

As far as Dr. Johnson could see, there was no reason for Bruce to be his patient anymore. The few friends he'd acquired – basically undamaged forms of himself – had built up that external wall. Provided him with a greater resistance, though how great it was Dr. Johnson couldn't say. With great joy he cleared Bruce as his patient, saying that he could visit him anytime he wanted. He just didn't expect the boy to be coming back six years later, days before his transfer to Mexico for a job.

Bruce had evolved from a thin child with big glasses to a young man that was tall, lean, and slightly built. A pair of glasses was tucked into his pocket but it was Dr. Johnson's understanding that he only needed them for reading. At the moment. Ms. Drake hinted that his eye exams were getting worse each visit. "Bruce! Welcome, welcome! Sit down, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing, Dr. Johnson. Just thought I'd visit before I left for Mexico." Smiled Bruce.

"Is that all?" Teased Dr. Johnson curiously. He'd been Bruce's doctor for seven years. It was hard for him to hide anything. The twitch in his grin and the way he combed his fingers through curling locks told Dr. Johnson that he'd broken through that wall of secrecy.

"No," Admitted Bruce, frowning slightly. He crossed his arms over his chest, lips thinning as he figured out how to announce his discovery. "I have another personality…" Mumbled the young man.

"Pardon?"

"I'm calling him Adult Bruce. He came out while I was in college."

"And how is Adult Bruce?"

"Strict," Mused Bruce. "He freaks out over everything. It's kind of like having a parent and a police officer in my brain…which is weird." Laughed Bruce as he rubbed his clammy hands across his knees.

"Maybe you've developed him as a safety net for when you move away. Mexico's a big leap, you know. No more aunt around. It'll be just you." Reminded Dr. Johnson.

"It's plausible. He's not that bad, though. We want the same thing, Adult Bruce and I. Both of us want to work and just _go _with my mind." Explained Bruce, locking his arm and pointing his hand out to imitate something soaring.

"Sounds like you have someone on your level." Grinned Dr. Johnson. "How do the other personalities feel about him?"

"He and Little Bruce get along. Teenage Bruce doesn't like him. Guess that's where the whole 'parent' thing comes in." Shrugged Bruce, flexing four fingers as he stressed the 'parent' quality of Adult Bruce.

"A conflict between Adult Bruce and Teenage Bruce may indicate that Adult Bruce is overstepping his boundaries." Postulated Dr. Johnson. "His want for control over Teenage Bruce indicates that he wants to control the technically 'reckless' part of you. He's trying to keep you from doing anything stupid."

"But why? I mean…part of being human is making mistakes."

"If you remember, though, Bruce, you had an aversion to embarrassment when you were younger. I deduced years ago that it came from the way people treated you after your mother's funeral."

"So he's doing this because of me?"

"Yes. It's his way of protecting you."

"But he's so…I feel that I can't deviate from productive things. What do I do?"

"You have to overpower him, Bruce."

"How can I overpower him? He's a part of me!"

"He's an adult. Use logic. That's his language. Speak it. If that doesn't work, well, use pity. Pity is a highly-adult emotion that may work if he's close to Little Bruce."

"I see. I can do that. Well, I mean, he's not exactly interfering…I've just noticed a trend. Thanks, Doc. I'll keep it in mind."

"See you around, Bruce." Dr. Johnson stood to lean over his desk and shake the man's hand as he rose from the chair. "Stay out of trouble!" Called the doctor with a slight chuckle.

And I have, thought Bruce as he came back to himself. Adult Bruce made sure of that. What fun was life without a little bit of trouble, though? Especially good trouble; Cori was good trouble. His share of bad trouble had been nearly overwhelming; General Thunderbolt was mostly responsible for that.

Bruce thought Adult Bruce was full of shit. How could he rip him away from Coriander when she was harmless? After the years of running shouldn't Adult Bruce want to settle down? Maybe, like Bruce, he was afraid. Didn't want to stay in one place too long, or get attached in case the government came roaring back.

Well, the government was already here. SHIELD took care of him in return for bringing out The Other Guy when needed. Their kindness was entrusting him to Tony. He could understand Adult Bruce's reluctance to be 'alright' with their change of events. The Chitauri attack was barely a week and a half old and nerves were still buzzing.

Alertness was mandatory.

"Bruce?"

If alertness was so mandatory why the hell couldn't he pay attention? Bruce knew that answer. Part of him didn't want to because Coriander would undoubtedly bring up the library. Part of him couldn't pay attention because when he looked at Coriander his IQ dropped like a rock. "Yes?" He swallowed, finally meeting her eyes.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure…" Bruce walked around the table to the vacant chair. He'd give her the nearest chair. She looked horrible, maybe worse than him since she didn't seem to have brushed her hair. He'd done that, but barely. Everything hurt…almost enough to impede him.

Her green eyes were puffy and tired, not unlike his own. Bruce had simply pulled himself together – somehow – because he had to. Because he was an adult and had been through similar things before. Similar, he could've laughed at the word if the pain didn't ooze freshly out of him at the sight of her appearing so disheveled and hurt. Similar was the perfect word; nothing had ever hurt quiet like Coriander Henson.

Even Betty hadn't left him feeling like there were only threads of him remaining. Cori had been the only one to hurt him without doing anything at all. And the idea was preposterous because he'd been the one to ruin things, the one to leave her there. Bruce concluded – from the guilt, the sleeplessness, and the silent tears of last night – that he still cared. Adult Bruce had been able to chase him away but hadn't changed his feelings.

That poked a hole in his whole 'Other personalities influencing me' idea.

"Look…" Coriander shifted uncomfortably, "about last night. If I crossed a line please—"

"You didn't cross a line." Bruce breathed, feeling like he could barely speak. The pain was intense. Trying to have a normal conversation after the abrupt end last night seemed impossible. Every time he opened his mouth, or looked at her, the image of him staggering from the library played again. His heart continued to crumble into little pieces.

The pain returned like a fresh slap. No, he deserved worse than that. It was a fresh stab.

"Then what happened in—"

"It was me." He pushed aside his oatmeal and coffee to clear a path. Bruce was aware that he had issues. Those issues may be too much for Coriander, he realized. But…maybe if he held her hands she would understand. She would know that it wasn't her fault, and that he was just defective.

"I've heard they always say that," Laughed Coriander, surprised she could get anything past the lump in her throat. She hadn't been in many relationships but often heard her friends complained that they ended like that. Often times, men used it as an excuse to get out. Bruce wouldn't do that, though; he wasn't a man of excuses.

"No, it really was." Swore Bruce as he tentatively reached out and grabbed her hands. To his surprise, to his relief, she didn't shy away. He felt her long, soft fingers unfold into his, lacing through the spaces. Her acceptance was enough to promote tears but he refrained, enjoying the fact that she hadn't written him off completely. If Bruce had been Coriander last night, and this morning, he wouldn't have wanted anything to do with himself.

"My father killed my mother when I was little," Started Bruce, "and years later, as I began to understand my trauma, I created a defense mechanism to survive. That defense mechanism was other personalities. They were different stages of myself. Last night one of them interrupted us."

"Why would he do that, though? I thought you were happy."

"I am. The one that interrupted us, Adult Bruce, is sort of like the parent. The police officer. He doesn't want me to do anything careless."

"Do you consider me careless?" Coriander knew he was explaining, but felt wounded by the comment. What, did he see her a liability?

"No, no, no, no!" Bruce jumped up. That would be the thing to send her running, he knew. If she ran…god…there would be nothing left of him. He was just trying to make her _understand_! "Adult Bruce might, but…that's because I've spent a _long _time running. Hiding. Evading people."

"You're not used to being settled down." Cori caught on. "You're not used to being happy." That thought was enough to tear her apart. Bruce deserved to be happy, just like everyone else. The Hulk had probably made that happiness harder to attain, though. 'Evading' was a strong word and she gathered that other people wanted him, too.

Those other people also made his life hard.

It was a shame that Bruce had a hard life. An insult, really. He was incredibly intelligent and humbly gorgeous. "Something like that," She watched him wince as he shrugged tightly. "It's just his instinct to make me shy away from danger, to try and protect me."

"He can't protect you forever, though. If he was meant to protect you, you never would've Hulked out. Tell him to back off because he's doing a piss-poor job." Cori huffed, crossing her arms. Adult Bruce really would hate her now, mused Bruce. Like himself, Adult Bruce hated to have his faults pointed out. But, she had a point. Part of a point…Hulk and Adult Bruce came out for different reasons, and never at the same time.

"I know. He just…needs to adjust." Defended Bruce. Adult Bruce had shown up at a very rocky time – college – but then stayed dormant until his move to Mexico. He knew if Adult Bruce was given time he'd quiet down. Banner was still nervous about living in Stark Tower, himself. It was hard to believe that SHIELD just _let _him live with Tony since Natasha and a slew of agents had come to retrieve him in India.

But, they were. His nerves were gradually relaxing. The tension was ebbing. He'd finally get a chance to feel free and normal and settled! "So what does that mean for me?" Wondered Cori, blinking softly and sleepily…reminding him of the night she sat at his work desk and hung onto every word.

"I need time, like I said last night."

"Time alone?"

"Not totally!" Replied Bruce quickly, wanting to make that very clear. God, if she left him alone…he wouldn't be able to handle it! He would die out like a finished candle. Shrivel like a starved plant. "I just…we can't get really complex. We need to start off slow…or go back to slow." Hell, he didn't know where they were!

They were just them. And dancing somewhere between scared and wanting. Somewhere between sensible and care-free. Midway between adults and teenagers. "Ah, so like physical therapy for the soul." Grinned Cori.

Finally this was starting to come into terms she could understand!

"Pardon?"

"Tony and Pepper patched me up after my car crash. His implant saved my brain…but in order for it to send the right electrical pulses out I had to relearn almost everything. How to walk, how to follow something with my eyes, even the right way to hold a spoon! It was daunting, and I didn't want to believe that I was incapable, or that I needed help, but Pepper and Tony stayed."

"And it all seems to have paid off." Smiled Bruce as he gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

"It did," Agreed Cori, "but if I kept fighting them like I had in the beginning, it might not have gone so smooth.

"What happened?"

"I would get pissed off about having to relearn walking, and try to rush into it when I needed smaller steps. Of course, I'd fall. Getting up without help was nearly impossible then but I made Tony and Pepper stay back. When I was too tired to run them off they'd help me. I began to realize that progress with help was better than no progress on my own."

"From this little story I gather that you feel my situation is similar?"

"Yep." Coriander stroked her pale fingers across the smooth skin of his hand. His palms were rougher, callused, and warm against her skin. He and Hulk shared that warmth. Please come sit with me, Bruce's eyes begged, no longer looking tired because of the hopeful gleam. She untangled her fingers and breezed around the table to the vacant chair beside him.

Bruce knew it was sending The Mixed Signal from Hell but he didn't care. He needed to feel her. Throughout his life, until he hit twelve, people had always held him when he felt emotional. At forty-four he was too big to hold, but he still found solace in the touch of another person. Cori's touch could heal him.

It could erase the craving.

"Bruce!" He snaked his arms around her waist and she all but tumbled into his lap. "I thought you said you didn't want anything complex?" Coriander pointed out as Bruce tightened his hold and buried his head into the junction of her collarbone and neck.

"This isn't complex," Bruce looked up, lips brushing her long throat. "This is a man searching for reassurance. A man trying to make sure he gets help in his time of need. That's something quite simple." He sounded hoarse. Tears pricked his eyes and Bruce wanted to growl in shame. Cori shouldn't have to see him cry.

"I'll help." Whispered Cori, stroking the soft curls on his head.

"Don't leave me alone," Bruce trembled. "I'm tired of people leaving me. I can't be by myself anymore!"

"You're not alone. I promise, you're not." Cori hugged him, combed her fingers through his hair as she started up the nape of his neck. She could feel his breath waver across her collarbone. If she looked at him cry…god…she'd lose it. She'd start crying with him, even.

"I'm sorry I'm so fucked up." Bruce bowed his head further into her neck as his body began to shake with stifled sobs. His father had taught him to be a quiet crier.

Lying about him having issues wouldn't make things better. It was obvious he had them. "It's not your fault," Cori soothed as she continued card her fingers through his hair. He was bigger, and she couldn't rock him, but she could whisper in his ear and hug him until it was over. Bruce's crying subsided twenty minutes later, long enough for Cori to get him to his room, and he started all over again.

She assumed it was because he felt silly, being an older man and crying, but she didn't care. Coriander stayed with him, leaving a message for Carmen saying something came up at the house. The instructors would have to make do with her coming to the Class B session, even if it DID have Jace in it. Bruce needed her right now and she couldn't leave him. He woke up hours later at nine a.m., feeling partly exhausted and slightly rested.

Cori's hands were planted midway down his back and Bruce looked up slightly, able to tell he was on her stomach. She was sleeping, hair splayed in a messy halo around her head. Most of that was Little Bruce, he knew. But he needed it, too, in some respect. Adult Bruce was quiet, pushed to the back of his mind by Little Bruce and Hulk.

We'll go slow starting now, thought Bruce as he kissed her hand and slipped away towards the kitchen.

* * *

They'd been going slow without issue for two months. Bruce could hardly believe that much time had passed. Time hardly flew for him, but he imagined his sunny mood warped his senses. Adult Bruce liked things going slow. Teenage Bruce didn't, but he understood.

When Coriander passed by, giving him a nod, a smile, or a nudge, Little Bruce and Hulk were the only two to respond. Little Bruce was always overjoyed to see her. He'd become really active since the day she held him in bed while he cried. Hulk just liked that Banner and Cori were doing their best to rectify the mistake of Bruce and Adult Bruce. If he could physically attack a personality – which he couldn't – Adult Bruce would've been pounded into nonexistence because of what he'd done.

He was pretty sure that would screw up Banner's brain, though, so he couldn't do that.

"Bruce?" Coriander knocked tentatively on the end of the lab table. Bruce held up a finger, eyes skimming the last part of Tony's notes on Cori's updated wings, and then looked up. His pulse-reading watch sped up a bit when he looked at her. The watch – abandoned since Mexico – was his punishment for being an emotional wreck. And for what he did to Jace outside of On The Heel of Success since that still weighed on his conscience.

"Yes? Everything alright? Steve didn't accidentally hurt you, did he?" Bruce started to reach for the medical kit.

"No, no." Cori shook her head. She'd had to visit a few times for injuries in the past two months, but not today. Almost nothing had changed since the day she held Bruce in bed. Her training continued (both with and without the wings), she still had dance sessions, and she still talked with Bruce. Their version of going slow consisted of conversations and brief contact like smiles, shoulder pinches, and hugs.

Anything else larger or sudden would send Bruce jumping back and murmuring about Adult Bruce. Cori was starting to see an improvement, though. Their hugs were lasting longer and Bruce could keep a hand on her shoulder for more than a minute. "I, uh…tonight's the tributary show and I wanted to know if you were coming." Shrugged Cori as she threw out her hands –Bruce was fond of her many hand gestures – and leaned against the desk.

"I'll consider it." Smiled Bruce. She arched her eyebrows as if to say 'oh' and Teenage Bruce quickly kicked his brain into action. He had to say something else so she didn't think he was blowing her off, which he wasn't. Bruce just didn't want to get _set off _by being at a crowded show with possibly gory themes. It was meant to honor war, after all.

"You know, see if I can handle it. I…I panic. Don't want to Hulk out on everyone."

"Well, that's why _I _came to check on you. Tony wanted to do it, but I didn't think you needed to be heckled. Plus he would've left out some stuff to get you to come along."

"Like what?" Inquired Bruce.

"Well, uh…" Why was she hesitating? She was twenty-six! Mentioning that she _may _adopt a few saucy roleplaying personalities during the one of the songs shouldn't be embarrassing! And yet, it was. Especially when the person she tried to tell was Bruce.

Her doctor. Her kind-of boyfriend. Part Hulk. Just…A GUY!

"There's going to be some adult themes and loud noises. I know you're not really social, and you've told me before that you don't like loud noises so I won't be totally heartbroken if you don't come."

"But you might be?" Bruce tried to verify, grinning slightly.

"Yeah," Admitted Cori, trying to shrug it off like it was no big deal. It wasn't. This was the _tributary _show and she was scared shitless! Well, a little. She was mostly excited.

"I'd want you to see how hard I've been practicing. And, you know, it would kind of prove that I have more coordination than you'd suspect." She joked. If she was her own doctor, she'd prescribe bubble wrap. Dancing was different for Coriander, though. It helped her focus and she became a totally different person around music. Her confidence soared, for one.

She could use confidence here. Bruce's watch beeped, reminding her that he had a 'heart condition' that made him unsuitable for extended public affairs. That watch was a confidence killer. "I'll go," Bruce smiled, flicking away shaggy curls as he reached for her closest hand and gave it a light kiss. "I'd never hear the end of it from Pepper if I missed this. Plus I hear you're quite the enviable dancer." Coriander flushed.

Pepper really needed to shut up. But she was pretty good at getting under Bruce's skin, apparently. Okay, maybe she didn't need to shut up. "When does it start?"

"At eight for the people attending. Dancers have to be there for makeup and dressing at seven."

"How long does this thing last?"

"About an hour, give or take fifteen minutes. We'll need breaks to change the props and clothes, but I don't think it will be too long." Cori shrugged, throwing her hands up as if to say 'It's anyone's guess!'.

"Do we have to wear anything formal?"

"I don't think so. The clothes Pepper's bringing for me afterwards aren't formal. I'd go with a nice dress shirt and some pants…well, if I was a guy, anyways." Grinned Cori.

"I'll be there." Promised Bruce as he checked the watch. It was six thirty, meaning Cori would be leaving soon.

"Thanks, Bruce. It means a lot." Cori wrapped her arms around his neck and Bruce sighed. Adult Bruce had been quiet for most of the time they'd spent taking it slow. Unfortunately, it made him hesitant. He was worried about Adult Bruce, and treating him like a landmine. He'd love to kiss her on the lips – it was her big night! – but settled for kissing her on the forehead as she pulled away.

"I'm gonna grab a bite before I leave."

"I'll join you." Bruce stood, arranging the papers into an organized stack before heading to the kitchen. Adult Bruce didn't mind if they held hands, which they did as they moved to the kitchen. Pepper, ever thoughtful and clever, ordered sandwiches from Subway to avoid tons of dishes. Coriander adored her for that because she _loved _Subway. She picked one labeled 'Coriander' and popped it in the microwave as Bruce dug through the wall of 'Thor' sandwiches to find one of his.

Cori sank her teeth into a steaming steak sandwich with provolone and mayonnaise, making a noise at the back of her throat that resembled a coo and a purr. She ate half of it, not wanting to bloat herself by eating the whole thing, and licked mayonnaise off her thumb as she reached for a napkin. There was barely enough time for her to brush her teeth and hug Bruce goodbye before running to catch a cab. Bruce finished his sandwich before going to change. Tony probably wanted to get there early in case seating was hard to find.

It was Bruce's understanding that this event was highly advertised. Especially since the lead female had her ass plastered on the TV not too long ago. By seven thirty Pepper was running around looking for an earring after making sure that all of Stark Tower was locked up for an early night out. Natasha was helping Thor with his tie, trying to convince him not to rip it off and ruin his suit in the process, and Tony was having one last drink. Steve and Bruce were waiting by the door, grinning as Pepper yelled at Clint to quit stuffing his face and fix his lazily buttoned vest.

At seven forty Pepper found her earring and Clint had finally gargled enough mouthwash to kill the onion smell in his mouth. Happy was en route to the local college where the event was being held by seven forty-five. People trickled in like the college auditorium was a sanctuary, but thankfully the troupe had reserved seats for them in the fifth row. Bruce decided he could live with the fifth row; it was close enough to see the dancing and kept distance between him, the music, and going deaf. The large, red curtain was drawn over the stage; it made Bruce wonder if everyone was ready and if things would go smoothly.

He hoped so. It wasn't unusual to see accidents happen. A prop could fall and seriously injure one of the dancers. His fear increased the beeping on his watch but he relaxed by pointing out that he was a doctor, and he was in the crowd. If anything happened, _all _of the Avengers were here.

What's the worst that _could _happen, anyways? Hulking out, obviously, considered Bruce. Tony was there, though. He'd help him keep control. Pamphlets were passed down from the front of the row as a woman continued to walk towards the front, divvying up the golden stack.

Bruce skimmed his eyes over the program, noting the elegant font and effort put into it. Inside was a brief description of the tributary show, the inspiration behind it, and a list of the dancers, scene producers, instructors, and the name of the narrator. On the next page was a list of songs.

_"Scream" by Usher_

_"Dressin' Up" by Katy Perry_

_"Too Close" by Alex Clare_

_"I Hate This Part" by the Pussycat Dolls_

_"Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks_

_"Payphone" by Maroon 5_

_"Titanium" by David Guetta ft. Sia_

_"Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes_

_"I Am Woman" by Jordin Sparks_

_"I'd Come for You" by Nickelback_

_"Damn Your Eyes" by Alex Clare (cover of Etta James)_

_And_

_"Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam (cover of __J. Frank Wilson & the Cavaliers)_

The back thanked sponsors and the guests.

A young woman walked to the podium, dressed in an immaculate black blazer, white shirt, and silver pants. Her hair was done up in a twist and held by a clip. She adjusted thin black glasses before tapping curiously into the microphone. The chatter died. "Hello and welcome," She greeted, "I'm Silvia Manchester and I'll be narrating the tributary show tonight. I won't waste time, as we're supposed to start at eight, but I would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight."

"You're welcome!" Shouted out a male, a man Bruce assumed was a rowdy college student. Who else would be so obnoxious? Tony chuckled but grunted when Pepper elbowed him.

"The dancers thank you, also. They're really excited! And they should be! Our tributary show is to honor the Avengers, which I understand are in the audience tonight as they support their on-stage member, Coriander Henson."

"AVENGERS ASS-EMBLE!" Bruce turned around at that one, frowning as he realized Coriander's unintentional media debut was being mocked. Steve and Thor weren't happy, either, and glared at the doughy butts of the young men standing on seats as they danced around.

"Not because of that ass!" Replied Pepper angrily, not needing to stand to be heard. They were ruining Cori's big night! The nerve of them! And their asses weren't even that great, anyways. Tony turned, grinning amusedly and devilishly, but said nothing as Pepper maimed him with her signature glare.

She was met with several agreeing voices before Silvia reigned them in.

"Our story begins in a nightclub on Friday night where two previously-acquainted coworkers meet. Monday through Friday they obey strict rules to maintain their professional appearances. Friday night is a time of pleasure and relaxation. It emboldens mousy people and rouses the curious, sexual hunter in everyone. Primed and focused, the man tries tirelessly all night to get the woman to dance, and finally, she does." Silvia stepped away, ducking under the rising curtain as the dancers posed for the start.

Bruce didn't necessarily like the opening song. It sounded very digital – which he didn't like because it reminded him of the sonic cannons, Betty, General Thunderbolt, and Blonsky – and rumbled. His cautiousness was eaten away as they danced. He lost himself to intrigue, watching Coriander's muscles flex and contract in the white top and black pants. While he didn't like the song, he admitted it matched the song and mirrored the Jace's character's attempt to chase and win over Coriander's character.

The undertones of sex, male prowess, and lust also fit the reckless Friday night image. Hulk shuddered within him, woken up by the loud noise, and nearly ripped out of his skin at the sight of Coriander grinding on the male. Bruce knew it was dancing, and was barely managing helping Hulk understand that. He released a strangled groan as his veins turned green. Tony looked over to him, nudging him in the side warily.

"I'm fine," Gasped Bruce, forcing Hulk back into his body. He'd just have to wait and see that the whole show wouldn't be provocative. Tony kept an eye on him, flicking brown orbs between the stage and Bruce ever so often. Bruce panted, sweating lightly, but soon settled back into his seat. He was glad to be sitting among the Avengers; anyone else would vacate their seat.

Coriander's hips sashayed as she twirled around Jace before he reversed the spin and pulled her close. Obviously the song was about intimacy. The song talked about a magnetic pull, so he tried to justify that the close dancing was appropriate. Justifications from Stephen Hawking wouldn't have eased his instinctual displeasure for Jace, though. He tried to watch the other couples – Hulk didn't know and wouldn't care about the other people – but his eyes kept drifting back to Coriander.

He hoped Adult Bruce was watching because this could've been the result of that panic in the library. Had Coriander been any other woman, and not known him as she had, she would've left for another man. Bruce would've, had he been her.

_"If you want it, scream…" _Jace and Coriander ended up in a tango-like position; her right leg was held by his left hand as she pressed her chest against him. Her left hand was buried in his hair.

The song ended and Bruce sighed blissfully at the quiet. It didn't last for long; people began talking about the music and the dancing. Silvia explained that scenes needed to be changed, props needed to be added on-stage, and new costumes were required to move the story along. People panicked briefly as the curtain lowered, but then registered what Silvia had said. She looked to the left – Bruce presumed a stagehand was hiding there – and then nodded before turning to the microphone.

"After months of careful courting he's finally convinced his coworker to take that step. It's a crucial step in the relationship so he sets it meticulously, only giving her a hint to pack various sets of clothes before bringing her to his apartment. A nice dinner complete with wine, Thai, and candlelight precedes the lovemaking. Like the Thai, their bedroom adventure quickly heats up as they decide to roleplay. The young woman's mind is gripped by nervousness and curiosity as she begins to realize the many personas she'll play; a question lingers…'Does he love me, or the person I play?' but all coherent thought is lost as they give in to their passions."

_"Saucer of milk. Table for two. You wanna pet my kitty? Oh, you're such a dirty doggie!"_

Oh god…he couldn't handle this! If that beginning of the song what the hell did the rest of it sound like? Bruce tried to focus on the props – a single wooden chair, a lamp in the back corner, and an old-fashioned three-crease folding screen – but was having a hard time. A nurse hat hung off the folding screen, giving Bruce a bad feeling about the direction of the dancing. Coriander did warn him about adult themes, though.

He wasn't necessarily afraid of sex. How could he be at the age of forty-four? His biggest concern was Cori _flaunting _herself. Okay, maybe she wasn't doing that, and maybe it was just a song, but Bruce couldn't deny the well of jealousy overflowing in him. That was his, damnit, no matter what Adult Bruce thought!

No one else should be able to see her in an unbuttoned blue nightshirt wearing only a tube top, panties, and some sort of white miniskirt! That was _his_! Bruce felt his skin ripple again, grabbing the arm of the folding chair hard enough to crack it. "Easy Bruce," Tony soothed, "it's just a dance. All fake, buddy."

"Tell that to Hulk!" Hissed Bruce as Carmen strutted out as the vixen mentioned in the song and Faith adopted the Lolita reference. Whatever the hell that was, Bruce frowned. Coriander continued to wrap her long legs around Jace, using the chair he sat in as a means to wind herself around him in ways that resembled a page of the _Kama Sutra_. Two girls that weren't at the sleepover played the librarian and dominatrix. Without warning Coriander bent her back towards the floor, walking forward on her hands with one leg bent on the seat of the chair and one extended across Jace's shoulder, until she'd moved out far enough to back-flip.

That, alone, roused cheers from the crowd. She performed several successive back-flips to reach the folding screen. Another wild scream of awe ripped the air as she discarded her nightshirt and put on the nurse hat, playing the part of the nurse as she wiggled in that sinfully tiny skirt and strutted back over to Jace. Her skirt folded in on itself – if that was possible, Bruce thought and swallowed thickly – as she opened her legs to straddle Jace on the chair, picking the buttons of his shirt apart while pulling a concealed thermometer out of her folded hat and inserting it into Jace's mouth, the bulbous part in her own. Coriander jumped away from Jace, joining the other girls acting as his other fantasies when Denise stormed on as the rough and sultry police officer.

_"Tonight I'm gonna come alive. Make you forget about your nine-to-five. Are you ready for your blood to rise? Tonight's the night. I'm dressin' up for you!"_

The song was heavy with base, and clicking with something Bruce didn't recognize, but couldn't drown out Hulk. Not with the very specific lyrics of 'tied tight. Tip teasing. Push, pull. Pleasure, pleasing'. He came surging into Banner's mind, tearing out of the corner.

_CORI…PRETTY. DANCING…FUNNY. MAKE HULK HAPPY. MAKE HULK WANT!_

_HULK WANT GET! BANNER GET! HULK WANT CORI! CORI NO BE WITH PUNY, MEAN BLONDE MAN! CORI HULK'S, CORI BANNER'S!_

_It's just a song. She doesn't really dress like that. And she doesn't really like him, you know that._

_HULK WANT, HULK TAKE!_

_No, Hulk NOT take! That would ruin the show. And scare people. You just watch. We watch, remember? We're taking it slow._

_NO, BANNER TAKING SLOW! BANNER LISTEN TO STUPID ADULT BANNER! HULK NOT BANNER. HULK WANT!_

_Well, you're not getting so stop! I want to see when the aliens arrive and you WON'T ruin this show for me, understand?_

_BANNER PUNY. HULK STRONG. HULK WIN AGAINST BANNER. HULK TAKE!_

_Cori really wanted us to watch this. How would she feel if you scared people away and disrupted the dancing?_

_IT MAKE CORI…SAD._

_Yes, yes it would. You can tell her she was nice AFTER the dance._

_OKAY._

Unlike the first song, this song had plenty of group dancing. It helped Bruce lose his focus on Coriander as she danced alongside the other fantasies. The song ended with at the center of a semi-circle, surrounded by the fantasies. As the curtain dropped Bruce exhaled, wiping away a slight sweat and enjoying the dark room. Despite his conversation with the Hulk – or was it because of the Hulk? – he was hiding an erection.

He was sure he'd lose it by the end of the show – feeling too taxed to think of ice and old ladies at the moment – because the alien invasion would hardly be about lust and love. Six minutes passed before Silvia continued the story of the young coworker couple.

"Things began to weigh on the couple as the man wonders if he made the right choice. They are young, ambitious, and aiming to continue climbing towards better jobs. He thinks deepening the relationship will derail him but doesn't want to break her heart, so he withholds these emotions until it becomes impossible. The divide has begun…"

As the slightly screechy, humming techno song started Bruce perked up. He'd heard a bit of this on a commercial. This wasn't very loving and kind…it was regret-based. Jace stole the spotlight in the song, portraying the male trapped in the chaos of his own mind as he struggled to distance himself from love. Coriander was off to the side representing a gentle, persistent investigation of his behavior – or acting as a memory holding him back, Bruce couldn't decide which was right – and danced more seriously than provocatively.

It was just leaps, skips, twirls, and outreaching hands in a blouse and skirt. Bruce felt himself beginning to calm, the watch beeping slower as it fell into a normal range. His pants were loosening, too. They never touched during the song, which Bruce had to commend with amazement because that was hard to do while making it seem close and artistic. Jace and Coriander hated each other, viciously, as he recalled, but they made a great dancing pair.

Maybe because they liked dancing more than each other and didn't want to ruin it with personal feelings.

_"So I'll be on my way…" _Jace straightens the collar of his shirt and leaves Coriander on the floor as the curtain drops.

By now the crowd says nothing. The evolving story is worth keeping quiet for, though the wait is longer than the last. An engine growls behind the curtain and Tony visibly perks up beside Bruce. Were they going to add a car? How did they get it up there?

"The hesitancy between them is palpable now. It breaks her heart, but she prepares for the impending end. Tension rises when their boss, unaware of their relationship, nominates them to meet a business partner in Manhattan. They travel as a pair, confined to their car, when the young woman finally breaks down during a rest stop break."

Piano blanketed the room as the curtain lifted, revealing a sleek white Nissan. The lights were on but the car didn't move, stuck in park as the engine revved as softly as possible. Coriander throws her door open with Jace, pocketing the keys as the song talks about the end starting. Jace acted like the memory in this song, dancing towards Coriander, at the edge of her performance as she spun, twirled, and leapt out her character's frustration. Her anguish.

Bruce didn't know what 'pop-and-lock' was but Pepper reached over Tony to tell him to watch. Apparently Coriander was really good at that. He saw her localize movement to certain parts, or joints, and snap quickly like she was part fluid and part machine. She put her left hand over her heart, bouncing it off to mirror the beat as the song swelled with violins. Was she really crying?

He mentally applauded her acting skills. Bruce wouldn't cry over Jace. Not when he'd said what he did outside of the studio. The Hulk was perfectly quiet, probably because he was happy about Coriander running away from Jace throughout the song. Attendees went crazy when she ran up to the hood of the car, slid down, and jumped off to pirouette in the air before landing in a perfect lean with her right leg extended.

_"I just can't take these tears. I hate this part right here…"_ Coriander hands him the keys and runs away. Jace is left staring dumbfounded. Tony giggled at Pepper dabbing her eyes as the curtain dropped, wincing when she dug her elbow into his ribs again. She wasn't the only one sniffing. Most of the attendees were women – supporters of the art or family to the cast – and made it impossible for him to have an erection with all of the whimpering.

For that he was grateful. Noise of the engine starting up echoed in the room before all fell quiet. Silvia poked at her eyes before clearing her throat and continuing.

"Wounded by harsh reality, the young woman runs off to clear her mind. She searches for a place to vent, knowing her meeting won't go well if she's emotional. It's near lunchtime; their meeting looms just hours away and she finds solace in a nearby park."

There were no props for this song, Bruce noticed. It was just Coriander. He thought the song fit the situation well. "Battlefield" talked about human vulnerability and the volatile nature of relationships. Drawing comparisons between love and a battlefield was incredibly easy to do without the song.

_"Don't even know what we're fighting for."_

_"I never meant it. Just not a war…"_

Lines like that struck a chord in him. It fit their situation too. Adult Bruce had torn them apart and created a rocky terrain they were trying to smooth. Why had they even separated? What was wrong with them?

They were fine before Adult Bruce came along! If not for him, they wouldn't be doing this awkward dance like at the beginning of the relationship! I hope you're listening! Thought Bruce to Adult Bruce. There was a lot of fury and pain in the song. Plenty of wide-swinging gestures and punch-like movements.

The curtain dropped as Coriander composed herself and disappeared. Silvia jumped back into the story much quicker than usual. Bruce could only assume that a lot of people weren't needed or costumes didn't need to be changed for this song. They were still en route to the business meeting, after all. He noticed the addition of a backdrop decorated to look like one of the many Manhattan streets with towering buildings.

"Spent but recomposed, the young woman searches for a phone to call her partner. In her earlier rage she's gone farther than imagined. She figures the car will be the quickest way to reunite them and prepares to call her coworker. While she can prepare to face her coworker, she cannot adequately prepare for being at the epicenter of an incoming invasion."

Bruce winced at the slightly high-pitched male voice. The song certainly fit. It talked about ruined plans, burned bridges, and wasted nights. Jace's character's drifting away worked well with the lyrics. Coriander's dance was sad and dreamy as she went between the happy memories of being with her coworker to the cold reality of being alone and stuck with him on a business trip.

She buried her fingers in her hair a lot, indicating mental anguish, popping and locking with the upbeat song before calling Jace when the singer croons about 'I'm begging you, just please don't go!'.

_"I've wasted my nights. You've turned out the lights. Now I'm paralyzed, still stuck in that time when we called it love but even the sun sets in paradise."_

Bruce liked that line. It represented how shut out people felt when a good relationship ended. The 'sun sets in paradise' just stayed with him because it was natural. Honest. Bound to happen.

The engine revved loudly as the song ended. A car door slammed as Jace ran out to meet her. Bruce was intrigued now that the curtain had lowered. How long until it rose? What's the best they could do with the Chitauri impersonations? Another machine could be heard behind the curtain, one that whirred and beeped.

What were they adding now?

Silvia stepped up to the microphone. "Without warning alien creatures began streaming from a hole in the sky. They sped throughout the town on flying crafts while decimating the city. Those without crafts patrolled the ground for citizens to frighten as their brothers and sisters were thrown from the sky by the Avengers." She hadn't pulled away from the podium. This scene had no song, Bruce gathered as a handful of dancers – who he assumed were dancers – ran out dressed up as Avengers to combat the aliens pouring out from the left.

The crowd laughed, amused that they had taken the time to dress up. Bruce was thankful that no one rushed out dressed as him. He reasoned it wasn't time-friendly or safe to be spray painted green. Chitauri soldiers were depicted by gray bodysuits and masks accented by Egyptian-similar costume chest pieces and crowns. Coriander was surrounded by fake Chitauri.

Jace ran out, trying to pull her to safety, but was 'knocked out' by a Chitauri. Black curtains billowed in the background, looking like a piece of hanging building wires against the backdrop.

"The chaos is mounting but Earth's heroes fight to weed out the alien attackers. Captain America, Thor, and Black Widow, and Hawkeye try to clear the streets as their comrades work on containing other areas of Manhattan."

"I wasn't in the streets!" Objected Clint with a pout. "I was up on the buildings!"

"Which are made of paint in this case, Clint. You can't stand on paint." Tony pointed out.

"Welcome to America," Steve's impersonator whacked a Chitauri in the face with a shield. The sound echoed as the Chitauri fell, leading Bruce to believe it was a sound effect and not a real hit.

"How can they dress just like me? My uniform is in your tower!"

"It's called memorabilia, Cap." Informed Tony. "People can dress up like you _whenever _they want."

"Disturbing…" Mumbled Steve as a Thor with cardboard armor pretended to bowl a Chitauri over with his equally fake hammer.

"Retreat, strange creatures. Do not threaten Earth or my awesome hair!" Spoke Thor, shaking his head nobly. It was a wig, Bruce could tell, but it was still funny. The real Thor flushed a few seats down as people around him laughed.

"I do not speak of my hair in battle." Grumbled the god.

The Chitauri approached Black Widow's character apprehensively. She had a fake gun in her hand. "What?" Natasha's double put a hand sassily on her crookedly poised hips and addressed the monster dryly. "Are you waiting for catchphrase? I don't need one." Her black-clad leg shot up and 'kicked' the Chitauri away. Between Clint and Thor the real Natasha clapped approvingly.

'Hawkeye' shot a Nerf arrow at an alien. It landed on one of the mask's eyes. Bruce wondered how much practice that took. "Right in the eye," Grinned the Clint imitator.

"That's what she said!" Someone pretending to be Iron Man zipped by. The audience laughed. Tony seemed tickled, also. It was _so _his humor.

"I don't understand why that's funny." Steve frowned, sitting to the right of Pepper. "He _was _hit in the eye!"

"Just…don't worry about it." Pepper patted him on the shoulder.

"Despite their best efforts," Silvia broke in, "the Avengers cannot save everyone. Alien forces are growing and most people have gone inside. It's easy to overlook one person in the chaos; the young woman is taken away." The curtain dropped as Coriander was dragged away by several Chitauri.

People chatted and giggled about the impersonators as the curtain stayed down. The curtain rose fairly quickly. Jace remained sprawled on the ground in unconsciousness, the Avengers were gone, and Coriander was in the middle of those black curtains as she tried to escape ground-bound Chitauri.

"The young woman finds herself climbing anything to get away. She doesn't know how long she can hold out, but fights to stay free. Aliens scream and jab at her, enraged that she's kicked off her shoes at them and distracted one of them with her blazer. As a human in the clutches of terror, she's determined to go with dignity. Her spirit is a roaring flame of hope and courage; she is titanium." Explained Silvia.

Now that she'd said it, Bruce noticed Cori missing a jacket and shoes. The fake Chitauri gurgled and jabbed at the air with their weapons.

_"Shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am titanium."_

Bruce clutched the chair arm helplessly as his stomach flipped. Coriander tried to show him her routine in the library but he'd stopped her. Now, free to do as she'd rehearsed, Bruce felt drowned in panic. She wrapped herself in the black curtain to the left after swinging into it, performing some interesting twists to do so, and then _fell_. A collective gasp echoed and Bruce nearly jumped up, but Tony grabbed him by the arm.

It was planned, he noticed as his watch began to beep slowly again. Coriander had twisted and climbed just so to knot the material before it unraveled. She dangled above the Chitauri, swinging teasingly before ascending the curtains and untying the saving knot. Her acrobatics continued for the duration of the song; she twirled the curtains and her body in a mesmerizing fashion while she climbed to various heights as the Chitauri tried to shoot her down. Towards the end a few of the Chitauri had gotten the bright idea to climb them, also, and confined her to one curtain.

Cori tried to fight them off, left arm and leg wrapped in the curtain, but it was no use. She leaned down after untangling her wrist and let the curtain fall from her ankle before falling into a safety net of linked Chitauri hands.

The curtain dropped. It remained closed for a few seconds. Long enough for Silvia to move forward.

"Dazed and confused, the man wakes a half-hour later as people cautiously reenter the streets. He speaks of his lost partner, whom he'd been with prior to the invasion, and they regrettably say she's been taken away. Forgoing the fact that he needed her for the meeting, and their personal issues, he knows what he has to do: fight for her. The task of fighting aliens would scary any man, and admittedly he was nervous, but he was also a fighter."

Jace was the only dancer in the scene. The Chitauri were there but they didn't dance. They simply tried to block him and pretended to fight or scratch him as he pressed on. Bruce found the song very encouraging for the character facing rough odds.

_"Give me scars. Give me pain. Then they'll say of me, say of me, say of me, there goes a fighter!"_

The song ends with Jace standing uncertainly and winded in front of two rows of Chitauri streaming from the right side. He kneels, gasping for air, as the curtain drops. It doesn't take long for it to rise, either.

"Shocked at the number of aliens on the ground, the man knows he cannot do this alone. He's human and his body aches. His lungs need air. When it seems like the aliens are about to close in, and his mission will end unsuccessfully, he realizes that he's not the only fighter. Behind enemy lines, hemmed by aliens, the young woman fights for her freedom, and the chance to see her coworker again."

A peppy song about womanly confidence plays as Coriander picks up where Jace left off. She flips over them, kicks them, spins between them, and dances ever closer to her partner. The repetition of 'I am woman' seems almost patriotic as the victim takes back her own freedom. Fights back against vicious aliens. Bruce was pretty sure it was the shortest song yet.

Red stains appeared on Cori's blouse, catching the Hulk's attention.

_CORI HURT?_

_No, it's fake. Probably packets hidden in the shirt. She's fine._

_BANNER SURE?_

_Yes, Hulk._

The curtain dropped after she stumbled towards Jace.

"Reunited, the coworkers rejoice. They've survived the alien invasion but bear many wounds. Although their bodies bleed, and their bones ache, they cannot be happier. She is surprised to see him rushing to her aid, but understands the unspoken bond that transcends coworkers and once-lovers. It's a gift of humanity to reach out when people are in need, and he answered the call."

A tense, dramatic song began to play. The guitar was plucked meaningfully and just quick enough to instill anticipation in the audience. Jace and Coriander danced together, Coriander following slowly behind with exaggerated moments to carry her 'wounded' state. To Bruce, the song didn't totally fit; they weren't in love as the song portrayed, but the anguish and determination mirrored their efforts to meet up.

_"No matter what gets in my way, as long as there's still life in me, no matter what, remember: you know I'd always come for you."_

That line made Bruce buzz warmly. It represented the Avengers team mindset and his personal feelings for Cori. He was sure that's how he felt about her, at least. It was nearly the only discernible emotion where they were concerned. The curtain dropped with Jace and Coriander hugging.

It stayed down for three minutes.

"Their excitement is short-lived as they began to realize the gravity of the young woman's wounds. Because of the extensive destruction and number of abandoned cars, reaching help on foot will be too long. It dawns on them like the sunshine emerging after the closure of the alien portal, that she will not live. Her last wish is to look into his eyes, as they caught her their first night."

"Damn Your Eyes" started to play. At points Coriander tried to hobble towards the left, away from the area of capture and towards others, but she always came back to Jace. It was as if she – as the character – knew help was pointless. She would die before finding any, and wanted to indulge, instead, in the company of her previous lover. The song included a lot of wistful touching; long strokes of the face and dainty leaning, embracing pirouettes.

It was by far the shortest song in the show.

_"Damn your eyes for getting my hopes up high…for making me fall in love again…"_

The song ended with her draping crookedly over one of his legs. Jace was kneeled on the floor, gently lowering them into a resting pose. Clearly Coriander was supposed to be experiencing her last moments of life. Bruce folds the program up, knowing when the curtain rises it will be for the last song.

"While the Avengers emerge victorious, the young woman fails to survive. She succumbs to her wounds in the arms of her lover, a casualty of two wars: the Chitauri invasion and the never-ending battle of the heart. Mourning the loss of his coworker, his brief lover, he holds her in his arms. Feeling regretful for the turmoil he's put her through; he kisses her, granting one last gift: the last kiss."

Steve was excited for a cover of J. Frank Wilson's song but quickly slumped when a rock version came on. "The only song I recognize, and it ruins the original!" He huffed, crossing his arms. Jace stole the stage, prancing around in obvious sadness for Coriander. She was totally still, eyes closed. In the middle of the song Jace kissed her, only to dance back into the company of frightful, excited dance members no longer dressed as aliens.

_"She's gone to heaven, so I've got to be good so I can see my baby when I leave this world…"_

They threw fake flowers on Cori's body before walking away as a group.

"And so ends our tributary show," Silvia addressed as the curtain lowered for the final time. People stood up and cheered, calling out various dancers' names as they linked arms and bowed as a single unit. The dancers posed for pictures as Silvia rattled off compliments and praise for the people who helped the show happen. Shortly after pictures stopped the dancers dispersed like scattering ants.

"You were so great!" Squealed Pepper, throwing her arms around Coriander. Cori's thigh burned, she was sticky with sweat, and her energy was nothing but fumes. She was going to collapse at any moment! Her stomach howled, demanding food.

"Young Coriander, your dancing was admirable though I am not fond of the music used to enchant the rest of the audience. Your skyward ascendance was particularly tremendous. I was unaware that Midgardians could do such things!" Thor Grinned.

"I think you handled Jace well, at the very least." Offered Bruce. He wasn't sure what to tell her. She danced amazingly, yes, but people had already said that. His compliment should be something unique and meaningful. Admitting he thought of their relationship during some of the songs would only earn him teasing from his fellow Avengers.

That, and wasn't really public with his affections.

"Grade A, kid." Tony clapped her on the back. "You dance pretty well for someone with a brain implant. Outdid all of the others!"

"While that's nice, you know I'm not a credit hog. We needed everyone to perform so I just played my part. We shined equally," Admonished Coriander as she took the bag pepper offered her.

"My representation didn't shine!" Clint wrinkled his nose. "I don't make jokes about my shots!"

"It was sappy…but interesting." Natasha shoved Clint in the face as she rolled her eyes.

"I would not recommend the selection of music to honor all of us, as I'm not totally caught up on the times, but you performed nicely. You followed through to the end, like a soldier." Steve nodded approvingly to Cori.

"And," Tony held up a finger, "since you went through with this on top of your training, you should be rewarded!" He smiled.

"Tony…you can't reward me for something I already enjoy."

"Quiet, Squirt. I'm trying to be nice! Let me finish…"

"Fine, what did you have in mind? I could definitely go for some food right now."

"Think bigger than food."

"You're going to buy me a pasta factory and let me eat off the assembly line as it endlessly pops out Alfredo?"

"A factory _may_ have as many people as what I'm planning. Care to take another shot?"

"What has more people than a factory?"

"A party!" Smiled Tony widely.

"A party?" Repeated Coriander skeptically. "Who would want to have a party with me? I've hardly interacted with the public since my attack, and nor do I want to. I'm not a spotlight chick."

"Ah, but people want to _know _you," Explained Tony as they walked back to the limo. "That's part of being a superhero, Squirt."

"But I'm not," Coriander opened the door and threw her bag in, shutting the door and locking it long enough to change. Her using the limo to change gave Tony time to think of smart-ass remarks. Coriander rolled the window down, fully dressed in dry clothes and smelling heavily of a sweet, floral perfume and deodorant. "To be a superhero I need an amazing ability, a codename, and an outfit."

"Did you say outfit?" It was her luck that Faith was walking by. She had her arms linked with Denise and was giggling happily. Faith was a bit scatterbrained and had exceptional hearing; both things allowed her to jump from topic to topic quickly and pick up on things. And find embarrassing conversations, like Cori's. "Do you need an outfit?" Faith approached the car, cogs whirring in her mind as her eyes twinkled.

"She doesn't feel like a superhero because she has no outfit and no codename." Explained Tony. "Cori went on to say that she has no ability, but she does. We can't divulge it, though."

"What does her power effect? Can you tell me that?"

"Machines." Answered Tony. Saying 'technology' would be too specific.

"Call yourself Mecha," Faith said with the ease of snapping her fingers. She shrugged as Coriander gave her a flat glare. "Mecha"? Really? It was that easy?

It was plausible, at the very least. She could debate it.

"And she needs an outfit." Added Tony.

"Me and a few of the girls are going out for drinks," Faith leaned casually against the back of the limo, "we can throw ideas around if you want? You look like you're going to settle in for the night."

"She is," nodded Tony as Happy opened the opposite door for Natasha, Clint, and Pepper to step in. Bruce was waiting on Tony, obviously. Or just listening in mild interest, as he was a scientist and inventor.

"I am?"

"Yes. With your name and outfit taken care of, you're free to attend that party." Tony wiggled his eyebrows at her as he told Faith goodnight and led Bruce around to the other side.

"Oh _ha ha_, Mr. Stark." Caught Faith as the limo drove away. Faith grinned, grabbing Denise by the arm as they returned to the other girls. A few drinks would definitely help the creative juices flow!


	13. Dancing with the Past

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to Misplaced Levity, SophiaStark, and xXSakura-Hime-SamaXx for reviewing the last chapter. This story ends soon; hope you've enjoyed the ride! Not sure what happens after this story ends…feel free to make suggestions.

* * *

Twelve: Dancing with the Past

Because Tony wanted to hold the party before excitement over the tributary show died, it was organized quickly. Coriander protested relentlessly, as a tight schedule left Pepper in a tizzy, but this party idea was being headed by more than Stark. It was also being headed by the senator. He wanted to cement bonds and draw in allies for New York using the Avengers as bait. Cori assumed it was something to do with politics but didn't know.

She wasn't exactly politically-minded.

Regardless of how she saw it, Coriander was expected to show up because she was part of the team. Thankfully, Pepper could coordinate with Mr. Sterns' secretary and divvy up the workload. Tony wasn't happy about it, but Pepper needed the break. She also needed to help Coriander find something suitable for the event. Cori was very much the homebody and would pick something quickly to avoid shopping at all; Pepper wasn't about to let her escape without proper eveningwear.

Pepper settled for a knee-length red dress with gold trim while Coriander stuck to her color of confidence: green. She'd been so nervous and embarrassed parading around in such a short shirt-dress during the press meeting that she opted for a long, green dress. No mishaps possible with a long dress! Unless tripping was accounted for, but she'd get the proper heels or alter her find. Cori and Pepper had no luck in the first two stores, as she was trying to find something that wouldn't cost a fortune, but her dress was in the fourth store.

It was a dark hunter green and floor-length. The straps crisscrossed going towards the dip revealing her upper back, a line of twinkling sequins leading the way. That crisscross design created the teasing sequined oval settled between her breasts. Her breasts would be hinted at, as the dress was snug, and the slit was just the right amount of showy Coriander felt comfortable with. For a formal setting away from the stage, anyways.

Four days had passed since the tributary show, but in that time Stark had secured a caterer and Sterns' secretary had convinced Pepper and Tony on a neutral, soft theme. Everything in the spacious, rented building was either peach, cream, ivory, or eggshell-white. A subtle gold had been added to give the theme an edge. Cori was sure that had _nothing _to do with Tony Stark and his Iron Man superhero persona. In two hours' time Coriander would be standing nervously alongside Steve, Bruce, and Thor rubbing elbows with whoever chose to arrive.

The party was for appreciation as much as it was for power. Tony Stark would ultimately attract more eccentrics. Captain America would garner fans and intense historians. Bruce Banner was undoubtedly a staple in the medical and scientific community. People may not come for Natasha due to her cold personality, but they may come for Clint to comment on his fantastic archery skills.

She doubted few would come for her. Cori wanted to bring a few of her dancing friends but figured asking them to stay in what she assumed to be a stuffy environment was simply punishment. "Alright," Pepper breezed in, tucking an escaped strand of hair back towards her ponytail, "I have a signature from the caterer, here's a copy of the documents attesting to the freshness of his supplies, and the pianist will arrive a half-hour before the party."

"And the accompaniment?" Quizzed Tony.

"They'll be an hour before the pianist."

"Do we have a bartender?"

"Oh he'll be there, but you won't be his main customer. Correct?"

"Correct….which is why I'm drinking beforehand!" Smiled Tony, toasting Pepper with his scotch before knocking it back. Coriander rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky you're cute!" Mumbled Pepper as she crossed her arms. Tony batted his eyelashes playfully. Bruce wrinkled his nose. Girlish Tony was something he never wished to see again. "Alright, I want the ladies to do a hair and accessory check in the next twenty minutes to make sure we don't have another mishap." Pepper clapped, shoulders relaxing as she finally found time to breathe.

"You mean _you_ should do a hair and accessory check," Pointed out Natasha dryly, "You're the one who lost an earring last time."

"Go _check_!" Pepper insisted with a tight smile, gesturing towards her room. Natasha rolled her eyes, heels clicking back to her room. Cori absently felt at her ears, wondering if she'd put her earrings in. Things had been so fast-paced since the tributary show that she couldn't keep up! The line where personal thoughts, Pepper's problems, and Tony's complaining began or ended was nonexistent.

With all of them living in the same tower, a problem was never just _one _person's.

"Looking for these?" Clint scared the shit out of Cori by wrapping his arms around her just enough to put his palms before her face. He opened his hands to reveal long drop earrings composed of one small, dark dot and a longer piece.

"Clint! Ugh, you're a bitch!" Hissed Cori as her heart hammered in her breast. Clint chuckled, dropping the earrings into her hands. How did they get out here? She didn't even know. Her brain was scattered in pieces as she watched the Avengers come together, all of them far less confused than her.

She was only twenty-six! Holding a lavish party worth more than her parent's house and salaries wasn't exactly something she'd anticipated. Coriander had learned many things, but not what to do when gearing up for such finery. Nonetheless, she slipped her earrings in before following Pepper out the door as the others fell in line. Apparently they had to be their early to collaborate with Sterns' secretary and make sure everything was set up correctly.

Coriander didn't recognize the building but assumed it was typically reserved for lavish parties. She assumed it had once been a hotel because the lobby was spacious and built with high-arcing ceilings similar to the Gothic days of architecture. They walked across the pale peach floor before the attendant directed them to their reserved area on the left. Tony snorted, reading the sign marking the room as "Sterns-Avengers". "He would put himself first, wouldn't he?" Voiced Tony as he pressed his lips together thinly and breezed into the room with a charmingly fake smile to greet the pair.

"Easy Tony…" Pepper grabbed his arm lightly as Sterns held up a champagne flute.

"Care to sample it with me? They have several varieties." Explained Sterns as one of the many waiters turned to show the array of colored flutes standing on a pristine white tray.

"I'll drink after we settle the details." Tony assured as Sterns' secretary nodded and flipped a few pages in her organizer.

"I hear that the band's already been taken care of but we need to talk alternate food choices," Said Sterns' secretary. Tony's eyebrows raised as if to say '_really_?' because he could see waiters hurrying out with annoyingly tiny samples. To him it looked like the food was taken care of.

"Why?" Tony dared to ask.

"Because, for some meat isn't _in _right now. And then there's the organics to think of."

"You couldn't talk with Pepper about this before we arrived?"

"We've already talked about it. You need to pick what you'd like to have." Huffed the secretary, interpreting Tony's boredom as a question of her competence. Coriander happily bowed out. Most choices included vegetables and seafood, the two food groups she hated. That, and, well…some of the samples were tiny and curiously foreign. What others would call a culinary masterpiece, she called a science experiment.

Bruce reluctantly picked from the various trays as Tony tried to go over – again – the proper party etiquette with Thor. Stuffing all of the appetizer options in his mouth at one time didn't qualify as a good sampling…even if he did think they were good (but he would eat anything so his opinion didn't necessarily count). Pepper grinned while politely waving off an organic smoothie Cori was sure came from the byproducts of Area 51 testing. Cori was attracted to the cookies and wrapped sandwiches being offered for tasting. "Guys, they made Avengers cookies!" Gaped Cori excitedly as the server smiled and presented the first batch.

She grabbed a Cori cookie – modeled after her outfit at the press meeting – and a Captain America cookie before running over to show them. "Look, look! Aren't they cute?"

"The chef figured you'd want to see them. All of the others are being frosted and chilled so the look will stay." Informed the server as Clint subtly spit whatever was in his mouth into a napkin and leaned over to lick the nearest cookie. Cori frowned as Clint's tongue took a large swipe across her cookie's dainty green icing chest.

"Had to get the taste out of my mouth," Clint explained as Cori pouted to her cookie. Most of the left-side torso was gone. Her cookie likeness only had one frosting breast left.

"Clint ate my boob!" Whined Cori. Bruce coughed, in mid-swallow of the grape and kiwi smoothie made in The Other Guy's honor. It was easy enough to stomach but what she'd shouted was not. Clint was an assassin, and skilled, but surely he wouldn't do _that _in public! His eyes watered as some of the smoothie got caught in his nose and he turned away to gently wipe it on a napkin.

He was into Natasha, anyways. The startle was reflexive, though, and Bruce couldn't help himself.

"Look!" Cori held the cookie up; Tony giggled at the licked cookie and grinned widely at Banner. False alarm, thought Banner as he relaxed. "Here, it's got your germs on it. You eat it!" She shoved the cookie back at Clint. He took a blind bite, breaking the cookie Cori in half as he made his way over to the server with the remaining cookies. Sterns bit the head off of a Stark cookie while looking coolly at Tony.

"Tasha, they have a Black Widow cookie! Come look at it before I eat it!"

"Don't call me that!" Grumbled Natasha as she went to investigate.

"It'll be the first time you eat her!" Smirked Cori as Clint furrowed his brows from across the room and Natasha whipped around unlike anything she'd ever seen. "Whoa-oh!" Natasha stalked across the room like an angry lioness and Cori took off. She'd had enough training sessions with the infamous Widow to know what that look meant.

"Natasha, Cori, act like adults please!" Called Pepper. Having one of the Avengers hurt pre-party wouldn't look very good. She was stressed enough already. Could this not just go _smoothly_? Was that too much to ask?

"We're just playing," Replied Natasha as Coriander took to the ivory-covered tabled with long, flowing cloths. Bouncing off the padded golden-white chairs kept her away from Natasha. That woman did _not _want to play!

"This isn't exactly the area to play," Sterns' secretary winced as Cori flew from the close-but-spaced tables, hopping across them likes stones. Natasha wasn't far behind, and didn't seem concerned about her getting away.

"Bruce! Bruce don't let her get me!" Coriander threw her hands out, teetering on the edge of table as Natasha yanked on the cloth and nearly sent her sprawling to the ground. Natasha could attack anytime she wanted. She was just playing. Being an assassin had in _no way _cultured the need to be sadistic and cool. The desire to draw out the inevitable, Cori was sure, must be innate in Natasha.

Not.

Coriander counted thirty-six tables spaced in even clusters throughout the room. They provided a trusty pathway to return her to Bruce and the others. "Catch me!" Was all Bruce heard, barely having time to set his drink down as Cori threw herself at him. As if she and Natasha were playing a game of tag, Cori called 'Safe!' as she hugged Bruce for dear life. Undeterred, Natasha sampled one of the six available cheeses and jabbed Cori sharply with the decorative pick.

She yelped and Bruce had to ask Senator Sterns to repeat himself.

"I said, 'Are you always this close to your patients?'." Repeated Sterns with a chuckle. Bruce resisted the urge to snort. He bit his tongue as Teenage Bruce threatened to bleed through and ask him why the hell it was his business, anyways.

"It's kind of part of the job," Cori spoke for him. "I'm kind of my own miniature disaster so I require constant care." She began to nibble on the Captain America cookie as Sterns walked towards Stark and Bruce didn't know how to feel. He was touched that she stuck up for him, and essentially gave Sterns little to joke about, but wasn't pleased with her eating the Captain cookie. That was like…her eating Steve. Oh god, Bruce grimaced, I can't do this. I hate parties. This is going to be a disaster!

"Behold, friend Banner! They have made a sugary treat in your image! Would you like it?" Thor held the Hulk cookie out in his hand. He'd grabbed it so hard, or had simply been too excited to keep it whole. Bruce frowned down at the Hulk with a broken right leg and cracked right arm.

"I—I don't think so," Bruce tried to smile. "Just had a smoothie." He pointed out. Truthfully, Bruce didn't want to chance someone catching him in an awkward situation. Eating would make his mouth full and stain his teeth with icing. He'd be utterly mortified if the cameras asked him to smile and he did so with tinted teeth.

"I'll take it." Cori didn't want to see the cookie thrown away. She remembered the conversation with Hulk about Bruce not wanting him. Somewhere, in the back of Bruce's mind, she was sure he was watching. Cori wouldn't pass him up! It simply wasn't "pro-Hulk" to do so!

Something warm tightened and fluttered in Bruce's chest as Cori licked icing from her fingers and rearranged the fractured Hulk cookie in her hand with gentleness and mild amusement. Clearly she was trying to put him back together before she ate him. Cori could eat that cookie. Bruce would even venture to say that Cori eating a Hulk cookie was erotic. Or that he was just messed up, but a sense of pride came over him as she nibbled on the cookie and took more time than the Captain cookie.

"No more!" Warned Pepper as she jabbed a finger in Cori's direction. She dropped her hands after twisting the napkin that cleaned her face and began to pout. "Wait until the others get here. That way, if you're nervous you'll want to eat. It also provides an excuse to excuse yourself from people you don't want to talk to." Pepper pointed out. Tony froze, midway to the cheese trays as he and Senator Sterns locked eyes. Sterns cleared his throat, giving no indication that he'd discovered Tony's real reason for trying the cheeses.

Tony circumvented Sterns on his way back, claiming he had important news for Bruce. "Don't use me as your scapegoat!" Bruce bristled, not wanting to incur Sterns' wrath.

"I'm not," Tony rolled his eyes, "I really do have something to tell you."

"What?"

"We have an extra suit prepared. You know, just in case."

"You think something will set me off?"

"Oh," Tony paused, chewing awkwardly through a cheese cube. He swallowed. "Pepper didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Oh…well…you know. It just kind of happened. Plenty of people were going to be here. Even with two coordinators it's hard to review _every _attendee—"

"Tony, what are you talking about?"

"I see the accompaniment! They look like they need help!" Tony finished off the last cheese cube and dropped his empty plate on the dish of a passing waiter before holding the door open for a string of musicians.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this." Bruce sighed. Tony was hiding something…that much was obvious.

"Me too," Mumbled Coriander as Senator Sterns strolled over to them again. Bruce stifled a chuckle.

"Ms. Henson, would you care to dance? I'd love for you to teach me a few things." Smiled the senator as the musicians began to warm up. Several trombones started low as trumpets joined in with a buzzing brass tone. Cori looked tentatively to Bruce and he gestured to the open area hemmed by tables. He wasn't sure if she'd looked to him for confirmation or for help; Bruce's mind was swirling with curiosity as he began to fight the clock. There was exactly an hour and a half left for him to figure out why Tony was being so secretive.

Exactly an hour and a half before he got stuck in whatever horror Tony vaguely hinted at.

Bruce prowled endlessly as the minutes passed, irritated at how well Tony and Pepper could evade him. They were the only two with answers, he was sure. Sterns' secretary was mum – or feigning ignorance – and Sterns was dancing with Coriander. When Bruce approached Tony, the billionaire suddenly had things to do. Checking the food, inquiring about the variety of alcohol Pepper would supervise him with, or even dancing with the surprised Ms. Potts.

As the pianist arrived and began to play various chords on the stage-centered piano, Bruce watched waiters and waitresses lay down nametags. There were nine chairs per every large table. He tried to casually follow the bustling workers but was caught once or twice, and winced at their curious looks. "Mr. Stark has you by Ms. Henson," one girl winked.

"How are the tables arranged?" Bruce asked, noticing she'd acknowledged him and may have time to answer more questions.

"These tables over here," She motioned to the ones hemming the dancing area, tables near the center of the room, "are for you and the other Avengers."

"We're all going to be at one table?"

"No sir, not to my understanding. You'll be spaced throughout the room and guests will file in accordingly to their seats. Each table has a theme."

"A theme?"

"Yes," Nodded the girl. "For example: Mr. Stark's table is focused on people involved with Stark Solutions. Your table will likely be medical personnel."

"O-oh, I see. Thank you." His stomach hardened as he began to figure out what Tony warned him about. Before he jumped to any conclusions, though, he wanted to see it for himself.

"Finally," Breathed Coriander, drawing up behind Bruce. He gathered that he'd jumped because she smiled apologetically. Pepper had intervened long enough for her to break away and find her table. She'd suggested Cori find it so she wouldn't be the last one standing as the guests continued to pour in. "Looks like I'm over here." Cori smiled.

"Yeah," Swallowed Bruce with a nervous smile as he pulled out her chair for her. She was right next to him, courtesy of Tony.

"So you know anyone else at the table? Friends of yours?" Ventured Cori as she did a quick circle to read the names.

"Well, I—"

"He knows me." Bruce turned, tingles racing up and down his spine at the polite and breathy whisper coming from behind. They turned, gazing at a woman with long, dark hair and pretty blue-green eyes. She smiled.

"Hello Betty." He swallowed. Hulk didn't really like Betty. Bruce wasn't sure how to feel. She'd been his first, but she'd also burrowed her way across lines he specifically asked her not to cross. On top of that there were whispers of her unfaithfulness as he ran around the globe trying to avoid her father.

"Hello Bruce."

* * *

Bruce tried not to cringe as Tony called them all up to stand before the attending people. It was truly a meeting of the minds and the rich. He wasn't nervous about being mentioned in the speech, or about standing in front of wildly flashing cameras. Betty may not even be looking at him – he wasn't the only Avenger – but he felt like she was. Felt like she was peeling him apart with those familiar, dreamy eyes.

Now he knew why Tony ordered him another suit. Betty had a way of making him Hulk out. They used to get along fairly well, but her sexual escapades piled up as he traveled the world and it left him feeling jaded. Less than worthless when she ran into his arms every time. The disbelief that he was alive, and not dead, only worked the first five times.

"To thank you all for coming out, and to work off that lovely meal—" Tony started as the crowd chuckled. The miniature crab cakes had been divine indeed, and the interesting potato salad puffs were a strangely welcome compliment. Both entrees – chicken or beef – were light but exploding with flavors and marinated in rich broths. Dessert – molten chocolate lava cake or a vanilla caramel custard - was incredibly small but portioned cleverly with the endless champagne flutes and tiny drinks the bar offered. "—I'd like to be the first to start the dancing. Ms. Potts, if you will?"

"I'm flattered, Mr. Stark." Pepper flushed and tiptoed daintily towards Tony. He gave a confident, soft smirk and slipped an arm around her waist as she set her hand on his shoulder. The old-fashioned band began to play a slow, sweet song. Cori smiled as "Earth Angel" echoed. People swooped towards one another, some nabbing an Avenger and others pairing with their tablemates.

For a beat or two Cori was alone, standing dumbly in a sea of gently swaying couples. "Want to see what I've retained?" Teased Senator Sterns good-naturedly. Not wanting to be alone, surrounded by dancers, Cori shrugged and flashed a small smile. Sterns wasn't who she wanted to dance with, but dancing with him was better than being alone. She looked over Sterns' shoulder, grinning as Steve was grabbed by a particularly adventurous woman while they spun carefully in-time with the music.

To her left Bruce was stumbling along with Betty. A pang of hurt sliced through Cori and she led Sterns in the opposite direction. It was easy enough to do since he'd tripped slightly on the spin. Why does it even hurt? she wondered. She and Bruce were…them…they were together.

Cori couldn't tell what Bruce thought about dancing with Betty. She trusted him, but his face was down towards his toes. It was Betty she didn't trust. That woman obviously knew him, and was leaning too close for Cori to like. Was she _whispering _something to him?

Seeing the tentative smile on Betty's face, the way her eyes shined in the overhead lights, made Cori sick. She could see how Bruce would like her. Or at least feel comfortable knowing her. Betty was pretty and carried herself lightly as if she floated…and she was actually his age. The lingering doubt that Bruce's hesitancy was based on their age difference wasn't totally far-fetched.

There were times she thought Bruce would say he liked her earlier than the kiss in the lab. His hands would dawdle on hers longer than necessary. Doctors were tender but Bruce was…he was a special kind of delicate with her. But was that delicacy owed to love or an elderly knowledge? Did he feel responsible for her because of Tony's fondness?

"Thank you, Ms. Henson. That was lovely." Senator Sterns kissed her hand as the song ended. Had she really spent that much time thinking?

"Y-you're welcome." Stammered Cori, jumping as an arm draped around her waist. "Dancing Away with My Heart" began to play and Cori flushed as Bruce blew out a grateful sigh. She slipped her hand onto his shoulder as he swallowed, looking her in the eyes. Her shoes did wonders for their height difference.

"I needed to get away," Bruce breathed. Coriander brushed a curl away from his face nervously. He was just starting to perspire and looked a bit greenish-yellow. "She's trying to talk and I just don't want to. Bad memories. Bad memories…" Shaking his head, Bruce cursed as he faltered along like the last tong.

"Don't look at your feet," Cori tucked her fingers under his chin to guide his head. Bruce flushed slightly. Her shoes brought them eye-to-eye like last time; Bruce felt himself wandering helplessly into her green eyes. Coriander's dark hair was curled elegantly and loosely about her face. Though her makeup wasn't applied in caked layers, Bruce could see her fair-toned cosmetics because of the dimness of her green lines.

"You're doing good, see?" Grinned Coriander as she nodded and continue to absently whisper the steps. Bruce tried to focus on her words – "Left, now up. Okay, right. Back, and spin." – but her lips were in the way. They were barely glossed, but plump and inviting.

"I'd look, but I'm occupied with something." Bruce gave a small smirk but Coriander misunderstood him. Her chin didn't move much but he assumed she was looking at Betty. His ex-girlfriend was behind him, dancing with Thor and probably being deafened as he inquired about her fondness of the food and music. It wasn't totally justice, but Bruce got a laugh for his anxiety. "I mean you," Assured Bruce as he whispered into her ear while they spun.

Bruce would have to be made of stone to not enjoy the shivers that raced through her. Shivers he could fee with his hand on her waist. "Really?" Coriander hated how weak she sounded.

"Yeah. I left Betty in Mexico. That was a _long _time ago." He boldly stroked the side of her face. Cori didn't know why that made her smile, and felt a twinge of guilt for how nice that was, but let him run his thumb over her cheekbone. Bruce was ridiculously kind. And handsome with those glinting silver spectacles drawing out the honey undertone of his brown eyes.

"Maybe you guys should catch up," Cori shrugged. Betty was already eyeing them curiously, waiting for the song to end.

"I don't want to hear what she has to say." Bruce frowned. "Think I can steal you for another dance?"

"I don't mind. What's your excuse to the others?" Weren't they supposed to be rotating partners?

"I'm your doctor. I'm evaluating your coordination and pulse."

"My pulse?"

"Our hands are close enough that I can get an estimate of your radial pulse." Bruce informed, lowering his hands to her waist as Coriander lightly slipped her arms around his neck. "Or were," He popped his head slightly with a small chuckle as the song ended. "The Best is Yet to Come" began to play. Coriander was a fan of older music, and admired the vocalist's attempt at embodying Sinatra, but thought it wasn't proper representation. They swayed a bit faster, Bruce daring to do nothing more than a spin in case he toppled someone and ignited a fight.

He was already on edge because of Betty. Every time Bruce considered leaning forward and kissing her, he thought better of it. Others were around, and most of those 'others' were people from the media who would have a field day with him. "Why do you like me?" Bruce dared to ask. They got along exceptionally well, bonded on a level Bruce thought impossible because of how the Hulk scared everyone away, and yet…he was sure he'd never gotten answers like these from her.

Bruce knew her favorite colors, her likes, her dislikes, and her dreams, but not her opinions. He knew she liked him, but not why. All he'd gotten was a vague comment about "GIGs" (which he only figured out hours later had to do with him wearing glasses). Coriander smiled shyly, dark lashes fluttering quickly as she was caught off guard. "You're sweet and incredibly brilliant, which I find _highly _attractive." Cori traced a wayward curl partially protecting his earlobe and Bruce shuddered as her finger skipped softly across the sensitive flesh.

"My age doesn't bother you?"

"Nope. I like older people. The men in my age group tend to be asses focused on the prize and not the journey. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Bruce could see that. Captain provided a stark contrast to the evolution of men. Cori's concerns were well-founded.

"I find that older people mirror my maturity. They have more to offer, also. Most older people I know speak other languages, which I _love_." That had been one of her likes they'd discussed. She didn't know how many he could speak – Bruce was used to keeping to himself, after all – but maybe now was the time to show her. People tended to key in on English when they were being nosy, but few would think to translate while snooping (if they could).

"Do you know French?"

"I studied it for three years. I'm a little rusty but go ahead, jog my memory!" Cori laughed.

"_Je t'aime_." Bruce smiled nervously. Cori _knew _what that meant – "I love you." – and the shock of it all stopped her. He hadn't expected her to stall and accidentally dragged her to him, falling into their personal rhythm of swaying and spinning. They froze, chest-to-chest. "J-je…do you know what that means?"

"I…yes!" Breathed Cori, heart hammering furiously. "Do you…I mean, that's great! Me too! I—I mean, um, _moi aussi_!"

"Of course!"

"Oh, Bruce! You're amazing!" Cori hugged him. He stumbled slightly, blushing heavily.

"And parched. I'll be back. Would you like anything?"

"No thank you. And…hey, thanks for telling me. I…to hear it is rare." Cori pinched his hand. Bruce simply smiled, having nothing witty to say. He returned the pinch before fetching a glass of water. A new song started midway to the bar and he wondered who'd managed to snatch Cori up. All of the Avengers were being passed off like torches; the excitement was simply too great for them to be left alone.

Coriander had her own appeal, being younger than most of the people here. The way she danced in the tributary show was also an important influence. Bruce frowned into his glass of water, lips pressed so thin they almost vanished. A tall man with auburn hair currently spun Coriander, dipping her slightly. Clearly he was more advanced than Bruce.

The man was experienced but came off as frosty. His auburn hair was graying at the temples, hinting at the age offset by his broad chin. Something stirred in Bruce. It a mix of suspicion and jealousy. Those sharp cheekbones looked vaguely familiar, as did those steely eyes.

Acting like he was walking to the table for a rest, Bruce passed by them. If he was lucky, he'd hear the man's name. Fuzzy pieces were floating from the depths of his mind as he passed. This man was familiar, but where had he seen him from? "I don't have a trained ear," Cori explained, "but are you Russian? You sound it."

"Da."

"And you know the Black Widow?"

"We're vaguely acquainted. I know a few people here, actually."

"You know me now, too, so I should know you."

"My name is Starsky. Igor Starsky." Starsky purred in his gruff voice.

Bruce felt the glass shatter in his hand but registered no pain. Suddenly it all made sense.

_HULK KNOW STARSKY! STARSKY MAKE BANNER HULK!_

_Yes, yes he did. He pushed let the bomb detonate._

_STARSKY BAD MAN! NO WANT HIM HURT CORI! HE MAKE BANNER HULK! MIGHT WANT MAKE CORI HULK, TOO!_

_I don't think that's possible, but I agree. We need to separate them. I don't trust him._

People gasped and began to scramble despite Tony's protests as Bruce began to change. "STARSKY!" Growled Hulk as the floor thundered with his steps. The vibrations alone were enough to overturn several tables and spill abandoned drinks. A syllable of protest, of worry, escaped Tony before Hulk pitched him towards the bar.

No one would stop him from making Starsky regret that moment of sabotage. The lithe man was thin, as he'd been the first time Hulk retained Banner's memories. He tried to run but Hulk clutched him tightly in a fist. Coriander was bowled over by the sheer force Hulk used to propel his fist and catch the man. Steve wrestled Betty out of the room as she kicked and screamed, attempting to explain that she could talk Bruce down.

"Bruce, Bruce! Please don't do this Bruce!" Igor began to cough blood as Hulk squeezed him like a boring toy past its prime.

"Not Bruce!" Hulk roared to Betty, "Hulk is Hulk! Old woman quiet!"

"I'm not old!" Shouted Betty as she kicked her way out of Steve's grasp. The Captain was having a hard time being polite while wrangling the woman.

"Woman old. Not new. Not Hulk's and Banner's. Cori Hulk's and Banner's. Cori new."

"Women don't matter!" Hissed Betty, managing to stick her head back in before Steve dragged her away. "You're the one in control Bruce! _Put him down_!"

"STARSKY HURT BANNER…GIVE HIM PAIN! MAKE BANNER HULK! HULK WANT GIVE STARSKY PAIN!"

"Thor, throw me!" Cori shook the God of Thunder by his arm as best she could. Thor typically liked to talk to Bruce but always received a beating. Cori feared that another altercation would set him off. Starsky was already in Hulk's hands. They didn't need to risk it.

"Pardon?"

"I need to get on his shoulder! Aim for his ear!"

"As you wish, young Coriander. I pray you know what you're doing." Her stomach flipped and dropped as she sailed through the air. Cori's target was Hulk's ear. She remembered the way he shied from her touch in the lab and sought to use that against him. And would have, but she connected harder than imagined and instead made a wild grab for his ear. Falling eight foot towards the ground wasn't particularly appealing.

Hulk roared in annoyance, shaking his head. There was a sharp pain in his ear! He pawed at his ear, fingers instinctively curling around a soft, warm figure. "No pinch!" Yelled Hulk, blowing Cori's hair back with his breath alone.

"Please stop, Hulk. Okay? I know you're mad but you have to, please?" Cori sneered at the movie sporting something similar to this. Namely, a scene with an impossibly angry creature being subdued by the will of a woman. It hardly seemed likely enough to work.

"HULK NO STOP!" The best Hulk could do was shake her. He had to remember that this was Cori and not Starsky. Starsky was in his other hands, and Hulk would've thrown him but didn't want him to run away. No, Starsky would suffer a slow and painful death; it was only fair when Banner had suffered for nearly twenty years. Coriander was shaken so hard that the world blurred and she felt breathless.

Hulk squeezed Starsky harder to prove his point. Coriander was blinking away dizziness and regaining her breath as the quiet pop of Starsky's rib sounded. "Alright, look…" Appealing to Hulk with pity wasn't working. Bruce was in there somewhere...she'd have to make _him _see the repercussions. "If you don't stop, they'll take you away." She looked evenly at Hulk, hoping she wasn't glaring with how angry she felt.

"No take Hulk away! Hulk strong!"

"Banner will come out eventually, when you're tired, and they'll take you away. They'll call you dangerous and you won't be allowed in Stark Tower anymore!"

"So…Hulk no live with Avengers?"

"Nope."

"That mean Hulk no live with Cori?"

"Yep. Bruce may go to jail because of you. I understand you're mad, but you have to think about Bruce, too!"

"Bruce angry too. Remember Starsky. Remember bomb that make him Hulk."

"Let's go talk about it, hm? You can tell Cori all about it that way if someone asks, I'll talk to them for you."

"Hulk no like talk to annoying people. No like cameras. Bruce hate cameras, too."

"Cameras will be all around you if you don't let that man live. They'll chase Bruce and call him bad things." Hulk looked pensively at the grimacing Starsky in his other hand. With a snort, he dropped him. The man began to crawl away, coughing blood. Because Hulk refused to let Starsky simply _crawl _away, he kicked him. Crashing into an overturned table, Starsky curled up as Hulk stomped away with Cori in hand.

Hulk dropped to the ground and laid down in the cool, abandoned hallway. Cori crawled up his chest until she was resting lightly on his neck. "Thank you for listening." Coriander stroked his dark hair. Hulk's breathing slowed as his anger ebbed (Starsky was grievously injured; he could live with that) and the petting became apparent. Petting was like magic, Hulk decided.

"Hulk get taken away now? Hulk being good. Being quiet."

"No, they won't take you. Cori won't let them." She kissed his cheek. Hulk paused, hands locked protectively behind Cori as he adjusted to the noises of the hotel. His impressive ears could hear people moving around and whispering near the entrance. Hear doors slamming and Avengers talking.

"Cori kiss Hulk…" Murmured the green giant in mild surprise. That had never happened before. Not to him, anyways. To Bruce, maybe, but not to him!

"Of _course _Cori kiss Hulk! Cori like Hulk!"

"Hulk like Cori, too!" He rubbed her back, grinning as she unleashed that familiar purr.

"Tony like Hulk too, so Hulk should be good or he'll go away." Tony crept towards the room, intent on escorting Starsky out. Hulk growled at Iron Man, snorting.

"Hulk not go away! Cori keep!"

"Right," Laughed Tony as he stepped into the room. A few minutes later he came out supporting a heavily bruised and crimson Starsky. Cori shivered as a growl rumbled low, moving through the center of Hulk's chest. His large fingers flexed, burying into the ground.

"Easy, easy big guy. Don't want to go away, remember? Hulk wants to stay. Yeah, Hulk wants to stay. Stay with Tony and Cori…the Captain and Thor—"

"Hulk no like Thor. Thor noisy! Always mean to Hulk!"

"Okay, no Thor." Cori nuzzled Hulk's big cheek.

"Oh he will go away!" Starsky spat blood from his mouth. "He's been a freak for twenty years! I'm just sorry it's taken this long to catch up with him!"

"Hey, why don't you shut up before I get up?" Cori snapped. "I got news for you pal, he's not the one you should be afraid of!"

"Ah yes," Chuckled Starsky, "you are an Avenger too. For some reason…you don't seem impressive."

"I'll impress you with my heeled shoe up your—!"

"Cori, there's a time and a place." Tony assured, roping his arms around Starsky as Hulk began to lean up. Was that rage he perceived?

"Impressive indeed." Starsky laughed dryly. "Impressive is something you're not." He glared at Coriander.

"Then what am I?" She dared to ask.

"In trouble. I ruined him and I will ruin you. Just _watch_!"

Hulk closed his hands protectively around Cori, frowning at the threat. Starsky had ruined Bruce's life…could he really ruin Cori's? What could be worse than radiating someone? He didn't want to find out, but had a feeling he would. It had taken years for Hulk to learn, but the lesson was finally sinking in: hurting people never stops them.

With that in mind, and Starsky bleeding heavily as he struggled to breathe, Hulk wondered what would happen.


	14. A Good Move and a Bad Note

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to Leto Lelantos (welcome!), Silver Eyed Slayer (welcome!), Dark Moons and Whispered Words (are you new, too? I can't keep up xD), SophiaStark, Drachegirl14, Misplaced Levity, Midnight Chamber, and the unnamed 'Guest' who reviewed the last chapter. Taking Drachegirl14's suggestion into consideration, I'll paint Cori as the confident one here (or try to, as it'll be a soft chapter with a hint of alarm).

67 reviews was more than I ever imagined receiving! Thanks! I have one or two silly "Alternate Ways Cori and Bruce Could've Met" oneshot ideas on my mind. Might bundle them together so people can read them. Long live Bannerander! Haha.

This chapter is SHORT just because there was no easy way to write it.

* * *

Thirteen: A Good Move and a Bad Note

She was twenty-six, this was stupid! But…it felt right. Felt natural to run to the safest place, the safest person, after what happened hours ago. Igor Starsky had rattled her, even though she didn't know him, and Coriander felt threatened. The nightmare about being chased in a strange house came roaring back as she evaluated the darkness falling over Stark Tower and Manhattan as nine thirty gave way to nine thirty-one.

"Can I sleep with you?"

Bruce was furiously scrubbing at his teeth in the bathroom connected to his room. The friction of the toothbrush, coupled with the swiftly running water filling his gargle cup, almost blocked out the question. He vaguely registered someone speaking and nodded absently as he gulped water to clean his mouth. Sighing out a breath of freshness, smacking his tingling lips, Bruce smiled softly into the towel as he dried his face. Stark's party (or was it Sterns'? Did it really matter?) set his nerves on end and he hadn't been able to unwind until now.

Starsky's threat was nearly five hours old. The Hulk still buzzed deeply within him, none too happy about his territory being threatened. Well, Cori wasn't really territory. She was in the sense that he wanted to protect her…and maybe his in the sense that Hulk didn't like anyone else getting near her. Trying to justify that Cori wasn't his gave Bruce a headache; an undefinable sensation hardened and warmed his stomach – it was something primal and ultimate that he couldn't deny.

_She is mine_, it said, _and I'm hers._

The doctor nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of Cori wrapped daintily in his sheets. Bruce hoped his startle wasn't visible, but didn't really care; the contented burning in his stomach muted the shock. She belonged in his sheets, or that's how it looked. It conjured a sense of appreciation and thankfulness, even. Coriander was always here for him.

"You nodded, so I thought it was okay." She rolled to her side, still facing him, and Bruce absently flipped the collar of his shirt up as he prepared to remove it and slip into nighttime clothes. Coriander drew the sheet over her head as a nicety while he dressed. Bruce faced away from her, and she appreciated the small lines of his back, the way his shoulders flexed slowly but smoothly – with power, but contained – as reached for a simple white shirt to compliment his cotton pants. He thought she was politely unaware beneath his sheets, but that was not the case. Starsky's threat made her believe that she was living numbered days.

Going through motions that may be her last. If she endured some unspeakable terror in the next few days, she wanted to go out remembering something nice. Someone nice. Bruce would be that something. He looked as lovely as he acted.

Bruce wasn't about to force her out. Her usually sly, playful green eyes were dulled with worry. _It's Starsky_, her face screamed, and he understood. Starsky had been the one to ruin him, so Bruce found validity in his chilling threat. He didn't have the heart to tell her that nodding was simply a common movement in his bathroom routine.

"This is going to make me sound like a bitch, but…I wouldn't have left, anyways." Cori shrugged as she snuggled into Bruce. Absent cravings, a sense of rightness, manipulated them until she was safely inside his arms. Neither one stopped moving until they were nicely intertwined. Bruce's hand lifted to take off his glasses, but the genius stopped when his fingers skipped over hers. She traced his wayward curls, thumb rubbing soothing circles just before the middle of his ear.

It was nice to feel loved. To have someone regard him so tenderly after the idea seemed nearly foreign and impossible. Bruce dropped his hand softly over hers, enjoying the sensation. The closeness. "The refusal to leave doesn't make you a bitch." Assured Bruce as he turned away slightly, breaking the spell long enough to set his glasses on the nightstand.

Her warmth was intoxicating. "It's perfectly understandable to want closeness after a vague threat to your life." He draped an arm over her waist and sighed as his body sank into the groove he'd made only seconds ago.

"It just…I don't know what to think! You think that guy could really do something?"

"With two fractures and three broken ribs? It would take effort." Bruce grinned dryly into her hair. It would take effort, indeed. And courage because Hulk wasn't letting Starsky anywhere near her. Not when they both remembered what he'd done…not when they remembered the betrayal he was capable of.

"That makes me feel better." Coriander sighed through her nose, lips pursed loosely together as her head found the space against his throat and under his chin. "S'why I came in here, you know, to feel better. Figured you could cheer me up."

"Glad I could help." Bruce rubbed her back.

"You both helped," She whispered, drawing her head up as she felt Bruce shift to look down at her. Hulk rarely got positive acknowledgement, and Bruce was merely checking the emotion in her eyes. Coriander sounded sincere, but he wanted to see how she looked when mentioning her big green bodyguard. He saw love and appreciation, the same two things she gazed at him with. "You're the logic and he's the strength…well, you're strong too, but he's like a brick wall. Impenetrable and whatnot."

"Which is why you have nothing to worry about." Bruce was a sensible person, but was beginning to fear cuddling. The cuddling was nice, but her motivations for cuddling were being decoded. Being sensed and translated into something basic and alarming. Coriander moved with a softness and bittersweet bliss he only typically saw in the dying. He'd been around enough doomed people to recognize the sad wonderment, the disappointed happiness, most used to see the world in their final days.

Did Cori really believe that Starsky would make good on his threat?

"Look, I promise that nothing will—"

His brain instantly threaded words together, intent to vanquish her fears, but the line broke and the words fell as she kissed him. Bruce could taste her love, the remains of mint toothpaste, and a bit of melancholy. Their kiss ended and Bruce's body burned painfully. He felt lightheaded as his lips pulsed, aching for more. When the paralyzing effect began to wear off, Bruce poised his lips to speak.

And she tore him down again, affection ripping through all logic. Coriander took her lips off of his long enough to breathe, and then went back to nursing his lower lip slowly. Sweetly, delicately like he was something wounded in need of extremely gentle contact. Bruce's heart alternated between hammering, fluttering, and all-out flying as she tugged his lip out gingerly, released it, and returned for more. It was the first time he'd ever felt numbed, dumb, and on fire at the same time.

Bruce cracked his mouth open enough to breathe. He was having a hard time remembering how to do that through his nose. Coriander interpreted the movement as a request for a break and pulled back, leaning up on her elbows to survey him. Bruce shuddered gleefully as he took in her loving, unashamed appearance. Kissing was clearly restoring her confidence, easing her worry, but he could tell she'd already made the decision to face her fate directly.

It was like she didn't care at this point, he noted. All she seemed to convey was love for him. "You can believe that all you want, but I feel this in my _soul_, Bruce. Something's going to happen." He shivered like a blast of cold air hit him. For a split second he wasn't looking into the eyes of his Cori, of a young woman, but someone much wiser, slighter sadder, and strangely ready. "I just want to have a happy moment…" Cori brushed a curl tenderly and Bruce felt breathless, like he'd stumbled into some Nirvana and came upon the meaning of understanding as he looked at her.

His life hadn't been absent of those gut-wrenching moments that transcended logic and science. One of them had been in Mexico as the gamma bomb kicked up dust that flew across the desert like a sandstorm. He knew then, at that moment, he would never be the same. Because he'd had those moments, he knew they could not be dulled. Like a sickness, they had to run their course.

"I hope I gave you one, then. You've given me plenty…more than I thought I'd get at my age. More than I deserved, you know, with my condition." Bruce brushed the thumb of his hand around her ear as he moved hair out of his way. His hand traveled silently down to her waist as he drew her close.

"It's a start," Smiled Cori, "but we're not even…yet."

Adult Bruce, Hulk, Teenage Bruce, and Little Bruce realized that this wasn't an animalistic, hungry meeting, so they stayed quiet. It was soft, and they were all subdued by the gentleness of it all. Bruce felt them sitting on his mind, watching indifferently as Coriander's emotions coaxed reactions from him. She pushed on his shoulders with her palms and Bruce rolled onto his back as she slipped, like silk, over him. Any other time his pulse would be racing, but Bruce felt stupefied with naiveté, slowed by sweetness, and let instincts spill from some heavily guarded place within him.

Gentleness was rare for Bruce Banner. Receiving it wasn't as guarded as giving it, though. Such reactions were locked up with chains, keys, warnings, and barbed wire to remind him not to give so carelessly. Most people wouldn't like what he really was, but this woman wasn't 'most people'. She was Cori.

She was Pro-Hulk, and she loved him, and it was just him in the bed with her. Just him…no Little Bruce, no Teenage Bruce. None of the others. It was just them. Bruce let himself chuckle at her cheekiness, heart fluttering warmly as she swallowed the noise and combed her fingers through his hair.

He rolled over, pinning Cori beneath him. Bruce didn't want his body to go numb under her care. That, and it was an unconscious way for him to show she was safe with him. Being on top meant he protected her; it meant that he would accept the brunt of the blows aimed at her. The minutes crawled by slowly as folded into one another with complete trust, love, and care.

It was unspoken and obvious that they would get no further than this tonight. Not that he was trying. Tonight wasn't about basic satiation; it was about making Cori feel safe. It was about loving her as she prepared to face the worst. His hands wandered blindly across her body, undemanding but firm as she locked her arms around his neck.

Bruce could do this for eternity without a care. Coriander stopped kissing him, her lips numb, and took to holding him instead. He'd been holding her for a while, and his hands offered a comfort that could not be purchased, unlike Tony Stark's fine beds. The doctor felt time and reality fall back into place as she snuggled close and pulled him down for rest. One in the morning approached, and he could think of no better way to sleep.

Minutes after rhythmically stroking his curls, Bruce felt her breathing taper out softly. She was sleeping. The genius lifted his head slightly, smiling. Coriander held him gently but tightly, fearful that he might somehow disappear as they continued to process Starsky's threat.

Did it have any value? How would he make her suffer? Would _she _actually be the only one to suffer since he knew Bruce, too?

"I love you," He whispered, kissing her palm since it was closest. Her hand twitched lightly, fingertips bouncing against his hair for a second. Bruce quieted, lowering his head so she could sleep. She would need rest if Starsky's threat had done this much to her within hours. Until he was thoroughly questioned, or put out of commission, there would always be something for her to dread in the coming days.

* * *

_I have a surprise for you! Meet me at Starbucks! And you have to do it before noon because I'm catching a plane to see my grandma in PA then. _Coriander had a dreamless sleep, but a good rest, and had actually been awake for that text. Faith didn't usually text her, but she was the reason Cori's phone buzzed. She couldn't begin to imagine what the surprise was.

Part of her didn't want to go outside because of Igor. Because of the fear. Tony assured her that Igor was in a hospital bed – she could only assume that Bruce talked to him while she slept in – but his word didn't make her feel better. In all good conscience, though, she couldn't leave Faith hanging. The girl was mousy with big eyes and Coriander simply couldn't survive amplified disappointment and her pouting.

She reluctantly pulled on a dark brown ruffled, sleeveless top to compliment her beige-caramel undershirt and jeans. Cori braided her hair off to the side before throwing on a pair of flats and making her way to the kitchen. "I'm heading out! Faith wants to meet me at Starbucks. She'll be gone by noon so I'll come back to train afterwards."

"Do you have your phone?"

"Yes, Pepper."

"Are you sure you want to go out?" Cori was prepared to answer dryly and humorously, or roll her eyes, but stopped. Bruce had asked that and she couldn't write him off like everyone else. Not after last night.

"I'll be fine." Cori shrugged. "It's just coffee…or a frappuccino, in my case." Could he tell she wasn't completely willing to go to Starbucks?

"Are their teas worth it? I hear Pepper talk about them from time to time."

Was he inviting himself? Could he sense her uneasiness? I can't let him do this, though, Cori thought. I'm twenty-six…I have to deal with this on my own. That kind of dependency isn't healthy. He has things to do, anyways.

"They're a bit on the expensive time. You're better off sticking to Tony's collection." Replied Coriander as she shouldered her purse and gave the few in the kitchen a slight wave. Bruce frowned, pressing his lips together thinly as she left. Cori sounded empty and curt, like she didn't want to go out. There was a hint of agitation in her voice, too. Was she mad at herself for being vulnerable…no, for being human last night?

He took a cup of tea to the lab, having finished off a breakfast of oatmeal and toast shortly after eight. There was a nagging feeling that something was wrong, or would go wrong. Bruce thought it best to stay near computers. Coriander managed to contact him once via computer and he wouldn't be surprised if she did it again. Snorting and slamming his palms into the worktable, Bruce frowned.

Why was he getting so worked up over this? If Cori was fine he should be, too! But he wasn't.

_"…I feel this in my _soul_, Bruce. Something's going to happen."_

He squirmed every time he thought about that. Her choice of words seemed all too correct. Bruce felt it in his soul, too. His soul was currently knotted in panic and weighed down by dread. Coriander was right when she said something would happen, he feared.

Bruce buried himself in work, or tried to. He'd be reading over Tony's ideas for battle tactics (a hesitant collaboration with Steve) that were demanded by Fury, and a nerve would ring in him. Like someone struck a bell on his internal clock, his mind would think: _It's ten now. She'll be home soon, providing that everything's alright. _And he would think everything was fine until the next hour came. When the clock hit eleven thirty Bruce began to get worried.

Did she get in another wreck? What was taking so long? Faith should've been gone by now! Bruce tried to lightly question her whereabouts but was met with merry, cheeky suspicion compliments of Tony. Apparently Bruce was worrying like a jealous boyfriend.

Pepper defended him, but he caught the mumble of "It's cute!" before she returned to her work. Conversations about relationships and 'Where is so-and-so?' always caught her attention because she was usually looking for Tony or assuring the press he wasn't caught in a scandal.

"Ms. Potts, you're needed at the front desk in the office area."Informed JARVIS.

"What for?"

"For the retrieval of more fan-mail, it seems."

"People do love me!" Tony smirked, "The media can suck it!"

"Thank you, JARVIS." Pepper rolled her eyes at Tony, tired of shaking her head at the man, and breezed towards the nearest elevator to relieve the burden from the postal worker. A chime sounded at exactly noon and Bruce frowned, brown eyes drilling holes into Tony. If he wasn't worry he'd say "See? Unusual!" but he was worried and such a thing seemed irrelevant.

"She could be stuck in traffic." Pointed out Tony. Cori, like the rest of Manhattan, liked to take cabs. New York was terrible where traffic was concerned. It was perfectly likely that she'd be stuck in traffic, waiting for cars to inch across the packed roads. Bruce's frown was unwavering and Tony finally caved.

Best to answer Bruce now before he flipped a lid and Hulked out.

"JARVIS, contact Cori please. Put it up on the main screen in the living room." Instructed Tony as he pulled Bruce to the kitchen entrance where the large living room TV could be seen suspended on the wall. The TV screen turned on and went black, colored by only a green phone and white dots as JARVIS called Cori's phone.

"It's gone to voicemail, sir."

"Try again." Tony would only get suspicious if she didn't answer three times in a row. It wasn't unusual for Coriander to ignore him. Less likely now that she lived in Stark Tower, but she'd done it before. Namely when he was trying to contact Pepper on their 'girl nights'. Tony Stark never panicked but would now agree that something was off about Coriander.

She hadn't answered her phone three times in a row.

"New plan, JARVIS: tap into the chip, please."

"As you wish, sir."

The green phone icon and white dots disappeared. A blank, black screen stared at the from the living room wall.

"JARVIS…are you in?" Tony hesitated slightly. Shouldn't he be seeing things? Or, rather, shouldn't Cori be seeing things? Even if she'd once worked at Starbucks they wouldn't let her take a nap there! She shouldn't _want _to take a nap since they technically let her sleep in.

"It appears so, sir. At the moment Ms. Henson is unresponsive."

Tony saw the surprise run across Bruce's face. He snorted through his nose as his eyebrows shot into his hair. His pulse beat visibly in the side of his neck. Before Bruce could Hulk out, Tony asked JARVIS to display the chip's activity log. They were seeing Starbucks through Cori's eyes as Natasha drew curiously upon the couch.

Her trained ears could pick up nervous humor in Stark's voice, humor that was tinted with worry. The good doctor was eerily quiet. She could see his pulse beating in his neck, and made a mental note of his veins turning green. Something was clearly amiss. "Alright, this is stupid. Can you speed up the—"

"No, stop it!" Natasha barked, drowning out Tony. JARVIS complied. "Rewind a bit. Play it slowly."

"What, do you want to hear about the suit again?" Tony teased dryly, having listened to Faith go on about their 'slightly drunk but creative' state that birthed the Mecha outfit. According to Cori it was tight, green, and looked like a rejected Renaissance fair hooker outfit. But it was the thought that counted.

"No," Natasha tried not to sneer. She was a master assassin, she didn't _care _about clothes! "I want to watch the barista."

"Oh," Tony chirped amusedly at her answer, "does Clint know you swing that way? OW!"

"She looks like she's…" Bruce squinted, finding the footage hard to follow since it was a recording and being tapped into by JARVIS.

"Pouring something into the drink?" Finished Natasha with a cool frown as Cori walked up to take her second frappuccino. The Other Guy exploded angrily in his chest and Bruce hissed as his muscles shuddered. It hurt to keep him contained, especially when he understood, but Bruce needed control now. Hulk may not be able to make heads or tails of anything in his rage. Bruce had logic, and needed to use it now in case they were fighting the clock.

"Play at usual speed, JARVIS. Try to skip ahead…find the point where Faith leaves."

"Yes sir."

If Cori's memories weren't on a chip, they wouldn't have any leads to follow. They would be sitting dumbly in the tower, waiting for her to return. JARVIS searched the chip, speeding up the footage in hopes of finding a point without Faith. "Here you are, sir." JARVIS allowed the memory to continue.

_"Mind if I sit?" a redheaded male slid shyly into the booth as Cori stood, collecting the bag Faith dropped off._

_"Feel free to have the booth. I'm about to leave."_

_"Oh, well, I was trying to sit with you."_

_"Um…why? I mean, not to sound snobbish or anything, but…I don't know you."_

_"I wanted an autograph for my cousin." Smiled the guy nervously. "He saw you on TV."_

_"Um…I really have to go but I'll sign something for him if you want?"_

_"That'd be great. Actually…I'd love for you to meet him. It'd mean the world to him."_

_"I don't know how that would work out, exactly, but I'm sure we can organize something."_

_"He's just outside. Niles was in an accident, you see, so he kind of looks up to you."_

_"You know I was in an accident?"_

_"There's tons of stuff about you on the web!" He laughed._

_"Right…well, I'll chat a few seconds, but then I really have to go!"_

_"That's all I ask." The young man smiled as they stepped out onto the sunny sidewalk. Cori glanced over slightly, trusting him to guide her towards his cousin._

Tony and the others received a good look at the red of his hair and the orange highlights running throughout it. In the sunlight they could also see that his eyes were a yellowish-brown, like fire.

"He's wearing contacts." Noted Natasha as Coriander followed him to a black van. Bruce noticed that the man led her around the front, not the back. Why was he avoiding the back? Did he have fake tags?

_The front passenger door opened and another man smiled nervously at her. He was lanky and thin with limp, light chocolate hair. His blue-green eyes twinkled as he turned carefully in his seat to face her. "Would it be alright, you know, i-if I had a hug?"_

_"I…I don't really like giving hugs away." He flashed her a pouty look complete with large eyes and sad lips. It looked like she'd just ruined his whole day. "As long as there's no funny business, I guess you can." Coriander yielded moments later and lightly wrapped him in a hug. "Ow, fuck!" She looked down to see a needle staked deep into the flesh of her left arm. Her vision began to dance in and out._

_"Idiot, she doesn't need anymore! It was in the drinks!" Hissed the one beside Cori to the paraplegic._

_"How was I supposed to know? You were taking forever!"_

Tony, Natasha, and Bruce watched the world tilt as Cori turned and tried to run.

_"You're not in a state to run, remember?" The first called out, in case any pedestrians were watching. Cori fell back against the van as the Starbucks fan opened up the door. She'd tried to run…but his arm was really heavy, and when she thought she was running straight it just popped up!_

_The darkness rushed back with a vengeance as she was lifted into the van. Cori was dully aware of involuntary transport and began to fight back. Her redheaded assailant was able to fend her off with one hand, shutting the door with the other. She turned her face to the left, watching the paraplegic climb into the driver's seat. Chuckling, the redhead pulled zip ties from the cup holder in the door._

_He quit laughing when she hocked a magnificent loogie in his face. "Like that?" Cori found the energy to laugh. Her words were slurred and slow, as was her breathing. "I learned it from Titanic."_

_"Smartass bitch!" Snapped the redhead. _

They saw a hand descend on Cori and assumed he was throwing her into a temporary unconsciousness via lack of air. Rasping sounds could be heard coming from Cori as she fought to breathe around his hand. The side of his pinky could be seen as he kept his hand over her mouth and nose.

"It ends there, sir. Ms. Potts is coming. What shall I do, sir?"

"Kill the connection. Pepper doesn't need to see that."

"Yes sir."

"One piece of fan-mail! One piece! Can you believe it?" Pepper waved the little letter in the air as she chuckled airily and rolled her eyes. With the way the front desk was complaining, she figured a sack waited on her! "It's not even _for_ you guys, but I guess this was the next best thing."

"Who's it for?"

"Nick Fury."

"Let me see that!" Tony picked the letter from her hand easily, having all of Pepper's avoidance patterns memorized by now. Nothing slipped past Tony Stark. Not when he wanted it.

"It's a felony to read someone else's mail, you know." Pepper scolded, hands on her hips.

"I'm Tony Stark, I'm above the law." Replied her boss as he held it up to the light. If it was see-through he could guess what was in it. Tony didn't want to rip it open and release a powdered chemical. Or die because of an explosion, not that he could die with the arc reactor in his chest. By the time he walked into the kitchen, wanting to dissect the note carefully, Clint and Steve joined him.

Natasha was the one to blame, Tony gathered. He could see why she hadn't told Thor. Thor wasn't quite about anything and he couldn't handle Pepper freaking out right now. Handling the letter like he was handling a bomb, Tony sliced an eighth of the left side off before stabbing the envelope through at the upper right corner. Air would expand the envelope, and the suspension would spill the contents.

Light had revealed seconds ago that the message was small and square. The letter felt like nothing in his hands, so Tony knew it couldn't have a bomb. A small paper fluttered out onto the table, landing face down. Tony turned it over, frowning down at a black image. It was grotesque; the picture was simply a blank-staring skull with six octopus-like legs contained in a circle.

"It's HYDRA's symbol." Steve said.


	15. On The Prowl

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN**: Thanks to Drachegirl14, ThoughtlessRage (your review was most amusing :D), and SophiaStark for the review. I think there's only about three chapters left in this. Maybe an epilogue. So…enjoy the ride!

Thinking of writing a Captain America story. I haven't seen the _Captain America _movie, but I feel bad for the guy! He's been displaced from his own time, thawed, and needs a ladylove! That and…I haven't seen a lot of Captain America stories on here. Throwing around the idea of a Cori/Banner pre- and during-movie romance.

Maybe her playing the on-board psychiatrist, or something to do with a case of mistaken identity where Loki's concerned. Mostly Bruce/Cori, that idea, but hints of Loki/Cori. Let me know what you think! This story's almost done and I'm still kind of attached to Bannerander xD.

* * *

Fourteen: On the Prowl

"We can't just _sit here _when she's out there!" Bruce was fuming, glaring at Fury. Why is it they retrieved _him_ so fast but Coriander was still missing? It was now three in the afternoon and he'd been raging since noon. The Other Guy was just _itching _to go on a rampage! His body quivered, fueled by the Hulk, rage, and sorrow as Fury remained unmoved by the turn of events.

Or so Bruce thought. Fury was hardly anything but calm. "I'm aware of that, Dr. Banner, but we have to approach this differently. One of the men in that transmission has been identified as Louvel Milun, a noteable sex-trafficker in the northern hemisphere."

"All the more reason we should be out there trying to find her!" Hissed Bruce. His patience was very thin at this point. The meeting table was already groaning under the pressure of his hands. Hulk was actually the reason he hadn't fully submitted to the temptation of wrecking everything in sight. He wanted to listen, to hear what they were going to do about Cori.

"There's more than just Cori's life at stake here. We can't risk compromising the investigation. Some of these girls have been missing for _years_, Banner!"

"I promise you I will…I will…ruin…" Bruce felt dizzy with rage, wanting to fold into the meeting table and fall silent before he started to scream. His mind couldn't process the idea that Cori was gone. That she'd been taken. Her absence killed the love-struck spell keeping him in a daze…keeping him contained. Rage ruled beneath his skin, tearing apart his mind as the Hulk paced angrily.

His shaking rivaled that of a seizing epileptic. Bruce could _feel _his logic and sensibility being terminated as he gave into the rage. The hurt. _Bzzt-bzzt! Bzzt-bzzt! _Hulk halted his takeover so Bruce could analyze the vibrating phone. Ideas about the motive behind Cori's abduction included a ransom from Tony Stark, and this could be the call making or breaking the theory.

The Other Guy nearly crushed the phone with Bruce's hand when he read the identification. "Cori sent me a message!" Breathed Bruce in awe, feeling the anger fizzle out instantly. How was she doing this? Where was she? He had so many questions!

_**Scared, **_the message said. Bruce could only assume her thoughts had been transferred to his phone. It was very similar to what happened in the lab when she'd called him to On The Heel of Success. Did she even know she was contacting him? Fear spurred adrenaline, and adrenaline could turn the average human body into an amazing spectacle.

Could the adrenaline negate his suspicions about her having a power range? Was it granting her some unwavering concentration that allowed her to reconnect with Stark Tower? With him? His phone buzzed again.

_**Want to come home. Need help. I'm not alone. Other girls.**_

_**We're formulating a plan, I promise! Just…just hold on, okay? I'll get you back. I…I love you.**_

A pause.

The doctor folded his hands nervously over the phone, as if lacing his fingers together could form an impenetrable cocoon. If the phone was safe, then Cori was safe. She was currently connected to it, after all.

_**I love you too, Bruce. **_

"Ask her about surrounding landmarks," Demanded Fury. "We don't know how long she'll maintain a connection. This may be the only time she can help." Bruce had nearly forgotten everyone else was in the room. He held a phone with Cori's messages in his hand. That's all that mattered. It meant she was alive.

_**Can you recognize anything?**_

_**No. The drugs are still wearing off. Things don't look clear.**_

_**Are those men still with you?**_

_**No. They traded me off after the last bus.**_

_**How have you been traveling?**_

_**I'm not entirely sure, but I know I've been on at least two buses. I think I'm on a train now.**_

"She's been on two buses. Cori thinks she's on a train now." Informed Bruce, looking to Tony for guidance. He lived in New York; he might know something about the buses and their schedules. Choosing Tony's extravagant office as their meeting place had its benefits; within moments Tony was combing through Manhattan's bus schedules.

HULK MISS CORI… I know. I miss her, too. We're trying. Bruce hated telling Hulk that. It was obvious, and felt like a slap in the face more than anything. "Alright, we have four buses leaving Manhattan within the timeframe JARVIS and I constructed for the kidnapping." Tony frowned. Great…four! Why couldn't these guys be stupid so his job was easier?

"Can you access the footage?" Natasha inquired coolly, her assassin mind whirling at maximum capacity as she recalled her extensive experience with shady, underground business. "We've seen the van they used to take her. Find it."

"Even if we did…I don't think it would work." Bruce frowned. His gut was tightly curled as if to confirm the haunting possibility that the van didn't have legitimate tags. They could've ditched the tags and swapped them by now. If they found anything, it was likely a decoy to leave them chasing their tails while they moved the girls farther away.

_HULK FEEL CORI_.

_You're probably missing her, or pretending she's here. We know she's alive, and that's a start_.

_NO, STUPID BANNER! HULK FEEL CORI!_

_ You mean…_ Bruce trailed off, evaluating the possibility of Hulk's statement. Hulk was very basic, and if he simply _missed_ Cori he wouldn't have chosen those words. Because Hulk didn't talk very much, he usually meant what he said. _You mean you can sense Coriander?_

_Hulk feel. Hulk find. Let Hulk find, Banner!_

_**Follow the wings, Bruce. Find the men.**_

It was her latest message, and with it the sensation of being connected to Coriander faded. It was like ebbing warmth, and Bruce breathed cold air to steady his nerves. Coriander was going to give them something to follow. "Suit up." Managed Bruce before he felt the Hulk consume him. Alert, like a dog anticipating the landing of his toy, the Hulk waited for Cori's wings.

_CORI, CORI, CORI, CORI_. Every beat of his pulse was her name; each breath beckoned the familiar scent of her hair to him. Hulk felt Coriander's presence wash over him in delicious, calming waves. The unnamed emotion he could only call "certainty" focused like a laser as he charged towards the nearest window. Hulk knew she was alive, and knew the wings would take him to her. Glass shattered, raining down with him as the Manhattan streets caved under his massive weight.

"CORI!" Hulk's swift, heavy feet left impressions throughout Manhattan as he followed the device. Car alarms were activated, people screamed as they avoided him, and several vehicles were visibly sent askew. He refused to be too far from the device. Hulk wanted to follow it, to be the first to find her and let her know everything was alright. Crackling and rumbling caught his attention; the Hulk looked up to see a black jet flying overhead.

He snorted, assuming it was Fury and the other Avengers who couldn't keep up with his speed. "Lead the way big guy!" Iron Man encouraged, dropping from the closing hatch with fantastic loops as he steadied above his comrade. They ran through two counties before Hulk caught wind of her scent. It was weak, but most definitely Coriander. The wings fluttered, giving off a small metallic chime as they gyrated together at high speed. Hulk stumbled as the wings turned sharply to the right and approached a hotel that rivaled a skyscraper.

Growling, Hulk lunged at the building. Entering and exiting pedestrians screamed as the large shadow flew overhead. Hulk burrowed his fingers into the concrete and fancy ledges accenting the pointed corners. "That's right, big guy, find them!" Tony watched Hulk still for a moment, snorting heavily. The wings were darting back and forth, as if wondering where to go. Ten floors from the top, the wings stopped, hovering over the balcony and large window.

"Let me go in," Tony flipped his faceplate up. "They'll run from you."

"PUNY MEN SHOULD RUN! PUNY MEN TAKE HULK'S CORI! HULK WANT SMASH!"

"And if we smash, we don't get answers. Stay here, okay? Guard the building."

Hulk didn't want to stay, but understood. If those men ran, or if he killed them, Coriander's whereabouts would go unknown. Tony blasted the glass out of the pane with one well-aimed shot. "Honey, I'm home!" His suit deflected falling shards of glass as he passed into the rich suite, flipping up his faceplate to eye the men and suite. "Hmm…reminds me of my house, only everything looks like it's from the bargain bin." Tony stared seriously at the culprits gorging on a menagerie of foods as they watched TV.

His heavy boots scuffed the hardwood floor softened by Persian-styled accent rugs. To his surprise, Hulk swung in through the window as he withdrew into Banner. Bruce easily cleared the sea of broken glass, skidding to a stop on a rumpled area rug. "Where is she?" Inquired Bruce as levelly as possible, voice trembling with rage. Hulk's green eyes surveyed them warily, watching for any sudden movements.

Neither of them would be leaving, even after they received information. Not alive, anyways. Not if it was up to him.

"Who? What are you talking about?" Asked the redhead as he circumvented the table, sensing the animosity.

"The girl you took from Starbucks. My _girlfriend_." Bruce jogged his memory, baring his teeth. He needed to be here for coherency, and was almost fighting a losing battle with the Hulk. It seemed he only wanted Banner for getting into the room.

"She's about five-six, black hair, green eyes…" Shrugged Tony casually, stepping forward as he flipped his faceplate down. Banner looked seconds away from Hulking out and he didn't feel like getting human entrails on his face. "JARVIS, scan the apartment for anything with Cori's signature." Instructed Stark as he walked around to help the AI. JARVIS could only perform using his visual range of motion, after all. Because Coriander was a resident of Stark Tower, JARVIS had been updated to accept her DNA in times of an emergency.

While JARVIS couldn't track her using his function, he could tell where she'd been.

"Hey, get out before we call security!"

_SLAM!_

"Ow, you stupid four-eyed fucker!"

"Keep going, Tony. Don't worry about them." Bruce called from the living room as Tony investigated the master bedroom and bathroom off to the side. On the master bed sat a green messenger bag he wouldn't have looked twice at. It was a pale green, raggedy, and stained so badly it reeked of motor oil from the hallway. The only reason he evaluated it now was because of the curiously packed, lumpy state. Was there a body part in there?

Could some of Cori's old clothes be in there? Tony wouldn't doubt that they'd forced her to change now. She'd be easier to hide that way. _"I've located some of Ms. Henson's DNA, Mr. Stark."_

"Where?"

_"In the bag, sir."_

Cautiously, Tony nudged the bag. Feet thundered towards him and Tony locked up, fighting instincts kicking in.

"I SAID GET—!" He grabbed the bag and swung it as hard as he could. It was the safest option. The guy might not have a face if he attacked with one of the lasers.

"Looks like you won't have a face, anyways." Tony mused as gold bricks spilled out on contact. He counted eight on the floor, and the bag still sagged in his hands. The redhead crumbled to the ground, groaning as blood gushed from his nose and lips. "Stay down…" Advised Tony as he heaved the bag to the bed and watched more bricks tumble out. Who paid in gold anymore?

Bruce dragged the remaining man into the room, ignoring his hissing and spitting. Tony eyed his green veins warily and tossed a gold brick experimentally between his hands. JARVIS' many computer programs took one look at this piece, accounted for his sensory information registered by the suit, and confirmed that the gold was real. "Who paid you in gold?" Questioned Tony as he dumped the bag, searching for something with Cori's DNA on it. Something black fell in clumps and pieces as Tony shook the bag, freeing single strands that descended like feathers.

"It's…hair!" Bruce relaxed noticeably.

"Of course," Smirked the lithe brunette. "People know that hair. We had to…modify her a bit for transport." Bruce tightened his grip on the twisting man, knuckles going white.

"I'm going to ask you one time, and only one time: where is she?" Bruce hissed to the boy, the urge to wrap his hands around his throat very overwhelming.

"Not where we were going to take her originally." Answered the man smugly. Bruce growled, shoving the man to the floor. He grabbed the nearest thing – a gold brick from the floor – and clutched it like a long piece of pipe as he leaned against the boy's throat.

"Give me something useful while you still have air." Suggested Bruce as the man grunted under his weight and tried to withhold a gasp. He pressed harder, watching his eyes glisten.

"Dr. Banner?" Tony voiced coolly. He was all for the rage, and told Bruce when he met him that the Green Guy was to be admired, but what good was death without information? It wouldn't change the fact that Cori was out there. This would be another thing the public could use against him, though, if he didn't pull back.

"Doctor's out." Murmured Bruce darkly.

"France!" Gasped Louvel. Bruce pulled back, sitting on the alleged trafficker while he gulped air. "She's in France!" He pulled fruitlessly at his lower body, trying to sit up and meet the eyes of the man who would've surely killed him – was it a pleading tactic? Bruce wondered – had he not spoken.

"How'd she get there?" Tony flipped up his faceplate as he crossed his arms.

"We…we were supposed to take her to Russia. Starsky called on us after being put in the hospital. Didn't…didn't want to be made a fool of. Wanted to make Banner suffer." Muttered Louvel as he began to breathe regularly again.

"He's always been good at pissing me off. Guess he didn't tell you about what happened the last time he made me suffer, did he?"

"Hell no!" Scowled Louvel. "You think I would've accepted if I knew?"

"Damage is already done," Assured Bruce, "but if you tell me what I want to know, you might live."

"Starsky was going to have her dissected in Russia. Knew she was weird. A man called us when we put her on the second bus. Said he had associates waiting at the train station. If we got off and put her on the train instead of sneaking her through the airport he'd make it worth our while."

"Who was the man?" Asked Bruce.

"I don't know. We never saw him. We hopped a bus back here after passing her off. Figured cops would be looking outside the city instead of _in_ it."

"What about his associates, did you see them?" God, why couldn't this guy say _something _useful? Everything in Bruce ached for an answer. He doubted Cori could call her wings from such a distance, if what Louvel said was true about her being in France. That would be far too taxing, considering that she was fighting drugs.

"It wasn't anyone I recognized." Breathed Louvel as his pulse finally settled. His throat hurt like hell, but at least he was breathing! "Standard suits-and-glasses kind of guys."

"Okay," Tony broke in, mind whirling like crazy. "So you took the bait and decided to make money on the side instead of following your orders. Why France?"

"Because the buyer's currently in France. He told us to bring her there."

"And how do you expect to hide one girl, an Avenger, in France?"

"Why should I tell you?" Louvel sneered at Tony. "I'm dead either way. Why not have something to take to my grave, something that will make the great Tony Stark suffer in agony?"

"The better question is: 'why _not _tell him?'" Bruce said. "But if you don't feel like telling him anything, let me tell _you _something: before the government caught me I lived by multiple aliases."

"That's so fascinating!" Cackled Louvel dryly. "Oh, I must spill all my secrets _right now_!"

"You didn't let me finish," Bruce smiled, leaning down so Louvel could see the green in his eyes. "Among them are Eye of Rage, Jade Jaws, Green Giant, and Green Golem. Would you like to see why?"

"Fine." Swallowed Louvel. He was going to die, he knew that. His capture meant certain death, but he'd rather die in a prison than at someone's hands. Especially someone who could rip him limb from limb. "Jade Jaws" didn't sound like anything to take lightly.

"I have connections in Paris, France. An underground market. We get girls off incoming planes and trains. She'll be put on a boat with others. That boat will take you to the market."

"Great, we've got answers." Tony smiled. "Let's go."

"We have to tie up loose ends, first." Reminded Banner, tempted to take a gold brick and beat him senseless with it. All the time he spent being snide and vague was time they'd wasted reuniting with Coriander.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Urged Louvel, wincing at the sight of a gold brick in Banner's hand. He could see the appendage threatening to expand, already greening under the light. "To get into the market we have code-speak." Said Louvel.

"Explain." Demanded Bruce, gold brick still hoisted calmly over his head.

"To avoid suspicion our code-speak is centered around cloth. If you're looking for a tall girl, say 'I'm looking for something long'."

"I'll assume that colors work in the same way, right?"

"Yes. Hair color is represented by fringe. Your girl, she has dark hair! Say you want something with black fringe."

"And age? How do we mention the age?"

"In yards. How old is she?"

"Twenty-six." Bruce replied.

"Then you'll want twenty-six yards of white cloth with black fringe."

"Anything thing else we need to know?" Tony kneeled towards the man, suit creaking.

"Is she a virgin or no?"

"How _dare _you!" Growled Bruce, raising the brick higher. It'd be easier to beat him with his fist, but with the brick of gold he at least had some control. The weight would slow his motions slightly.

"Legitimate question! Legitimate question!" Louvel swore, trying to raise his arms but finding himself incapable of doing so since Bruce was sitting on him.

"She should be." Tony reluctantly answered.

"Ask for cloth that's unique and exclusive, something to brighten up your house, then. A non-virgin would be requested by asking for something common but refined." Louvel grinned at his own joke. Bruce sneered, too angry for bile to climb his throat. What, were women just objects of pleasure to these people? Obviously, given the business he was in, but to hear him talk about women like they were cloth-! And the way he smiled when saying "something to brighten up your house." made him feel nauseous.

This was a sick, sick man.

"Good, we've got what we need. C'mon, Bruce."

"Better hurry, _doctor_." Smiled Louvel. "She'll sell fast."

"_Bruce_!" Tony wrapped both arms around Banner's hand, stopping the gold bar inches from Louvel's head. "I'm sure Fury wants this guy alive. Let's leave him and _go_!"

"You can't go anywhere without this mark." Louvel took the slacked pinch of Bruce's knee as a sign to show them. He freed his right arm to show the HYDRA symbol on his right shoulder. "But, yeah, go ahead and run off to save your dame. I'll wait right here." With these two gone, no one would be here to watch him! He could escape while they ran to France.

"And so will we." Natasha stormed through the front door with Fury in tow. Louvel paled as the black man stared down at him. Fury had been on his tail for a while. He'd danced away from the man for many years, and the frustrated threats – the ending seconds of their usual phone calls – were seldom pretty. Banner and Stark had never seen Fury smile, and when the man finally did, they could see why he reserved his grin.

It was cool, confident, successful, and sadistic. Something they didn't _want_ to see.

"Thank you for your help, gentleman." Fury walked quietly over to Louvel as Natasha locked the door. "Hello, Lou."

"Fury."

"Ready to take a trip, Lou?"

"I'll go to hell on my own terms." Sneered the man.

"Let me be your escort." Offered Natasha as Bruce reluctantly stepped off the man. He bolted up instantly but Natasha planted her boot quickly in his stomach. The force behind it would've made a marine cry, Bruce bet. Louvel wheezed as she grabbed a handful of his hair, taking his left arm firmly with the other hand and attempting to pull him up as he bowed to the floor on shaky knees. "You'd sell for a lot, too." Louvel wiggled his eyebrows to Natasha.

Before Natasha could make a smartass remark about her Russian training, Bruce snapped. The Hulk was tired of this puny, evasive man. He was keeping him from Cori! "HULK SMASH!" Roared the giant as he planted one big hand over Louvel's face.

"Banner, no! We want him alive for questioning!" Fury shot at Hulk's hand. He knew it would do nothing, but hoped the beast's focus would be broken. Louvel flailed beneath his hand.

"Hulk, hey, buddy." Tony flew up near his face. "If he dies, Fury can't help the others. There are other girls just like Cori who want to come home. Who've been taken by this guy…"

"Other…Coris?"

"Yeah, other girls just like her. They want to see their families. This guy knows exactly where they are. Give him to Fury. Fury wants to bring those girls home." After a few seconds of squeezing, Hulk obeyed. Louvel, pink-faced and bug-eyed, cursed him as Natasha finished picking him off the floor. Hulk bellowed in response, shaking the floor and throwing Natasha's hair around.

"Stupid beast!"

"HULK NO STUPID! HULK SMASH!"

"Hulk no smash!" Admonished Natasha, trying to guide the cringing Louvel away as Hulk dropped his head and swung his arms like an angry simian.

"Little smash," Promised Hulk, lips vibrating with his growl. Hot air plumed over Natasha as he sneered at the man in her hands. Without warning Hulk reaching a large hand up and ripped Louvel's right arm off. Natasha was used to blood, but winced at the high-pitched scream of agony ripping through the air. Fury was yelling at Hulk and taking off his jacket to plug the wound.

"Present." Hulk threw the arm to Tony, snorting wryly.

He waved it absently, finding it gross but intriguing. "Before you put him in the corner for time out, Mom, we actually needed this." Tony informed, pointing to the Hydra tattoo.

"HE DIDN'T HAVE TO RIP IT OFF!" Spat Fury.

"Get him to the jet. Banner, calm down and come with me! You too, Stark!"

Hulk begrudgingly withdrew into Banner as Fury exited the room, dragging the unconscious coconspirator with him. They convened on the roof, which Tony would've mocked as a cliché and pointed out the dangers of doing so while on a covert mission. Key word being "would've", had he seen anything. "We have a cloaking device." Fury explained, as if he could sense Stark's curiosity. Natasha walked calmly up the invisible ramp to the jet, Stark falling in line to follow until Fury stopped him.

"You and Banner go on that one." He pointed to Agent Hill, the only visible marker of the second jet.

"What's the difference?" Wondered Tony. Wouldn't it be safer to bring them all in one jet, anyways? Didn't two jets defeat the whole "teammates" concept Fury tried instilling in the helicarrier?

"This one has our elite team of disguise perfectionists." Agent Hill drew up to them, catching Fury's miniscule sign.

"Louvel needs to be put on a plane with Thor, anyways." Fury flashed a cold, lopsided smile. "Most men talk volumes before deities, you know."

"Follow me, please." Agent Hill strolled away briskly, acting like Fury's confident saunter and haunting words were a usual occurrence. Inside the jet seven other people waited. "We don't have time for introductions. Get these men fake documents and new faces!" Agent Hill stood next to the pilot as she addressed them. The transparency aspect flickered, allowing Bruce and Tony to see sleek black everywhere they looked as the ramp folded into the jet.

"And a copy of this mark." Tony waved the detached arm.

"…and a copy of the mark." Agreed Agent Hill with a small frown. Did he really have to bring that on the jet? She turned to the pilot, "Fury expects us to be in Paris, France as soon as possible."

"Rodger that, ma'am."

"Stark, Banner…work on your stories." Agent Hill turned to sit beside the pilot.

"How long?" Whispered Bruce. He felt nearly drained with everything that had happened today. Losing Cori was winding enough, but constantly switching from Hulk back to himself was tiresome. Using one body for two wildly different people was borderline painful in itself!

"You have four hours." Agent Hill told him.

"I meant until I see her, until we touch down!" Bruce clenched his fists so hard he could feel the half-moons left by his nails.

"It's still four hours, Dr. Banner."

"We'll be too late by then!" He frowned, talking mostly to himself. His lip pulsed from where his mouth connected harshly with his fist.

"No we won't. Milun says these things typically don't start right away. They need time to move the girls, feed them, and make them presentable. We should be arriving at the start of their auction."

"How do we know he's not lying?" Stark asked as he continued to take his suit apart and hang it in the designated wall space.

"A man screaming _that _much wouldn't lie, I assure you." Agent Hill smiled in devilish amusement. Louvel deserved every ounce of fear Thor, Barton, Natasha, and The Captain inspired in him. That made Bruce feel a little Better. A blonde woman clucked her tongue, folder, pen and pad in hand as she looked at them.

"Let's get started, shall we?"


	16. Buyer's Remorse

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Thanks to ThoughtlessRage and La Bella Figura, who reviewed the last chapter. I think you guys should help me out. While I'm totally geeked about the amount of reviews, I have 151 alerts for this story and 75 favorites. Never once have I broken 100 reviews on a story. You guys should make it happen :D.

If every person on the alerts reviewed one chapter, it would happen :D. Just a suggestion.

Okay, end of my spiel. Sorry in advance for the cliff hanger. Bruce's alias was taken off a list found at the Marvel Wiki, if anyone's curious.

To La Bella Figura: The Captain America story will come shortly, maybe after this one is done (this one has a few chapters left) or within the next few days. It will be called _The Pursuit of Liberty_.

* * *

Fifteen: Buyer's Remorse

_**Follow the wings, Bruce. Find the men.**_

Cori detached from the device, deciding to focus her energy on another matter. The haze on her brain was clearing, fuzziness ebbing as she withdrew from his phone. Fear sobered her. Coriander felt a mix of panic and rage for the men casually pacing the corridor, peeking occasionally through the windows to watch them. She didn't know how many girls were here, but knew none of them should be here.

Not for these men.

Never for something like this.

There were three other girls in her area. Each one was a different nationality and age. The faces bore different degrees of terror, and from them Coriander deduced who was seasoned and who wasn't. Her stomach churned, propelling traces of sour bile into her mouth when she looked at the doe eyes on the young face next to her. "How old are you?" Asked Coriander, wincing as the girl leaned slightly into her sore arm as the train rumbled beneath their feet.

"Sixteen." Replied the girl hoarsely. She was bony, like the thought of their fate made her too sick to eat. The young woman wasn't anorexic, but Coriander could easily wrap her arms around her. Her honey-colored hair and blue eyes reminded Cori of Steve, only this girl had no determinism or square chin. Like the rest of the girls, her outfit appeared to be from a sexual fantasy catalogue.

"How did you get here?"

"It's a long story…but, ultimately, my boyfriend wasn't who I thought he was. Our plans to runaway ended with only one of us getting away. Getting taken away…" She smoothed the small collar of her black leather number.

"Seems like your drugs are wearing off." Observed the girl across from her. Coriander blinked, nodding slightly. She felt dizzy and sick because of the circumstances; the drugs paled in comparison.

"They got me with that once. If you listen, they'll keep you clean. It wears off eventually, though. Usually it metabolizes as the ship pulls into the dock." She informed.

"And how old are you?" Coriander was almost certain she was the oldest in the compartment. Maybe on the train, with exclusion of her captors.

"Nineteen." She flicked her long, silky, dark hair in a matter-of-fact way as her plush, glossed lips thinned seriously. Her skin was dewy, a soft caramel just beginning to brown. Cori's heart ached. She could see Carmen in that face. God, how many people would she see on this train before it became unbearable?

"You're all just babies…" Mourned Cori, shaking her head.

"We used to be." Huffed the girl across from her dryly, managing to cross her legs in the cheerleader outfit.

"It's only scary the first few times." Assured the otherwise silent passenger, the only Thai among them. "They screen buyers before the purchase."

"They screen buyers?"

"Yeah, to make sure they don't get any freaky ones." The girl nodded. "I guess they used to have some real sick ones back in the day. Guys got mad when their products weren't coming back. Their exports were outnumbering their imports."

"And you know this how?"

"This isn't my first train, honey." Her sleek, perfect dark hair was done up in two high ponytails on either side of her head. She wore two tones of lipstick, purple on top and black on the bottom. It matched her small maid's outfit. Dark – almost _black_ – almond eyes stared emptily at her.

Cori really didn't want to ask, but found herself uttering, "And you? What's your age?"

"Fifteen." Mumbled the girl.

"What about you?" The Thai girl, the one on her in the adjacent corner, flicked those dark eyes to her. "How old are you?" Coriander wanted to bawl for all of them. Some were scared but some, like the Thai girl, had already hardened against the fear. Had already accepted this atrocity as commonplace.

"Twenty-six."

"Woah!" The Thai girl reeled back in slight surprise. "You're older than most. Older ones are rare. They fight back too much."

"Or have the sense to carry defense weapons in their purse." Shrugged the cheerleader.

"You either have good technique, adore an odd fetish, or have connections they want to milk. Which is it?" Investigated the Thai girl.

"Connections." Answered Coriander, watching the face of a patroller pass by. They weren't overly worried with keeping them quiet, it seemed. Cori could see out the small oval panes to compartments across from her own. Each door had a small numeric padlock. "And now you do, too."

"I don't." Snorted the Thai girl. "I was my parent's connection. Money was scarce, hardly anyone in our village was rich. They needed money…"

"That doesn't make it right." Cori bared her teeth angrily. She wasn't mad at the girl, but at this nightmare. At the people monitoring them. "It's never been written that women have to suffer for the pleasures of a man, and we won't!"

"What are you going to do?" Wondered the girl in leather. "What _can_ we do?"

"My name is Coriander Henson." Coriander eyed them, knowing it was slim they recognized her. Who knew what kind of buyers they'd experienced? She doubted they were treated like human beings with standard luxuries, given the situation they were in. "I'm an Avenger." They perked up, distinguishing the name.

"Can you call them?" The cheerleader flew across the seat, nearly landing in her lap as she dug her nails into Cori's arms. "Are they going to come save us?"

"I will. I'll do the best I can until they arrive. I've already spoke with them."

The leather girl grabbed the hand of the cheerleader hopefully. Coriander shushed them as another man passed. Dressed in dark suits, slacks, white undershirts, and ties, they all looked the same. She didn't know how many there were. "What's your power? What do you do?"

"Let them squirm, I know what I can do. I'll show you when the train pulls into the station." Coriander replied boldly. She hadn't thought of it until now, but the sense of dread was telling her to. Whispering into her ear that something would go amiss just because she was planning an escape. They were stuffed into padlocked areas, why would they not have a speaker system set up? It would explain why no one had come in to shush them.

"We have about fifteen minutes until then," Informed the Thai girl.

"How do you-?"

"Not my first train, remember?" She nearly teased, allowing herself to smile at the prospect of being freed. "Manhattan is usually their last stop. The train takes us to Montauk and we'll get on a boat, headed for Paris within the hour."

"That's fine." Coriander squared her shoulders, digging deep within herself for energy. Tapping into Bruce's phone was quite exhausting. But…she couldn't give up now! Not when these girls were scared, when there were others, and they awaited a fate that made death seem welcome. She was beyond tired; accessing his phone had given her a headache.

Her sluggish processing and heavy limbs didn't help the situation. Still, hope thrummed in her. Anger simmered in her veins. You are an Avenger! She told herself, you can't quit! Good soldiers, heroes, fought until they collapsed.

She would do the same. Coriander looked to the blonde girl, almost able to _see _Steve. He would tell her to stay strong, maybe point out that he'd come into sheer strength from the remains of his scrawny form. Steve would tell her she was a good soldier, and that he was proud. Her heart fluttered warmly at the thought.

Steve was kind, and Steve was at home, where she wanted to be. Imagining him encouraging her, giving a pep-talk like he would any other Avenger in his sensible, honest way, gave her courage. And a delusion to fuel her. If she pretended she was home, already safe, then she could write off all of this.

Imagining that she was at home, laughing with Natasha as she easily pitted Thor and Steve against one another using the TV, relaxed her. Coriander could pretend she was at home. Having a lazy day, even. Bruce would stroll quietly from the lab into the kitchen for a cup of tea and Tony would saunter behind him, babbling science-talk as he jabbed him amusedly with a tool in effort to see The Other Guy. The Other Guy…Coriander paused at the thought.

She was quite fond of Hulk. And Bruce. Without Hulk, Bruce would just have a sad story to tell. Hulk was tangible evidence of his hardship, of Bruce's inner strength. Of Bruce's perseverance.

If he can get up after Hulking out every time, then I can do this, Cori told herself. After returning to his body Bruce would merely wince. Or request more pants. He was the strongest person Coriander had ever seen. "When this train stops, you run. I want you to grab people on your way out. I don't know how long I'll last."

And she didn't. Coriander didn't know how many doors she could unlock, either. What were the odds that all compartments had the same password? Slim. "The train's slowing." Said the Thai girl ten minutes later.

Cori braced her feet against the floor, feeling the rumble die. A loud squeal and long groan could be heard. "They've applied the brakes."

_Sixteen identical outside devices have been detected._

_Sixteen electronic locks in the immediate area._

_Link to how many locks?_

All of them, thought Cori. She didn't have time to question her ability. These girls needed to get off before the men took them to the boats. They had a fighting chance if she could throw open the train doors. Escape was possible through the station and rushing people.

Montauk was still apart of New York, after all.

Pain accosted her. Coriander groaned as the doors began to rattle, numbers vying for space in her mind as she foolishly, helplessly tried to decode sixteen different passwords simultaneously. _"…It's now 'I have to', so start implementing that into your attitude." _She could hear Natasha say. And Natasha was right. The master assassin likely anticipated numerous situations while saying that, but Coriander was sure she didn't count this one.

A red light flashed at the top of the door before it opened. Coriander succumbed to the scream climbing out of her throat. She didn't care and couldn't help it, anyways. This was far beyond her limits, even with the Avengers training. "Go, dammit!" Panting, blindly shoving one of the girls out of the trembling door, Coriander laid on the floor.

It hurt too much to move. She felt like her head was being torn apart. Everything burned as the stabs of pain ripped through her body with every pulse beat. Cori felt sweat dampen her forehead as she curled up on the floor. Pounding feet and frantic shouting reached her ears.

_Two new devices detected. _

_Two taser guns in the immediate area._

_Link to how many tasers?_

Both, Cori rolled over to her back, craving air. Her jaws were clenched so hard they ached. The pain was constant and stifling, nearly enough to compress her entirely. Any moment now she expected to pass out, or stop her heart entirely because of the adrenaline. I have to protect them, I'm an Avenger. It's my duty. I've been accepted as one of earth's mightiest heroes, Cori tried to keep her focus, feeling her eyelids flutter.

The pain seemed to be literally shutting her down.

_WARNING! WARNING: your current capacity has been reached. Maintaining capacity will diminish the connection with previous devices. It is not suggested that you preserve the current connections. Doing so may cause spontaneous unconsciousness._

_Do you wish to continue?_

Yes, Coriander saw her vision dance. Her door slammed shut. The sound startled her, allowing her to draw up her heavy eyelids. She felt her energy dissipating, escaping like smoke. Coriander knew, now, what wind-up toys experienced as their power tapered out.

Cori's eyed rolled into the back of her head. She was completely unaware of the frustrated screams, victorious male growls, and doors forcefully slamming shut.

* * *

Bruce looked into the only available mirror onboard the jet one last time. He adjusted the tie of his pale gray business suit nervously. The doctor couldn't even recognize himself. His curly hair was unidentifiable, forced into submission by the jar of hair cream and flat-iron they used. It reminded him of Mexico, almost, because his hair was sleek and framed the sides of his face in layers he forgot he had in all the curls.

His hair was largely tamed and gelled, but one curl refused to obey. They ended up giving him a slight ducktail curl in the front. Bruce's glasses were held for safe keeping. He denied the contacts, combining efforts with the Hulk to keep his eyes green in exchange for letting The Other Guy prepare to kill someone. That desire was nearly all-consuming after the day he'd had.

Hulk was ready for action; he knew what the jet's descent meant. Bruce felt absently for the stubble that had accumulated on his late nights. Occasionally he forgot to shave the next morning, or just didn't want to. Scruff had its own appeal when Cori scratched at it with her fingers. It was gone, and Bruce remembered shaving it off about an hour ago.

His mind was too jumbled to keep track of things. He tugged the sleeve down over his faux HYDRA tattoo as Tony squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. Hope thrummed in Bruce as the jet found somewhere exclusive to land (somewhere that wouldn't look as questionable for a jet to land). They were the only jet to land, Fury entrusting the task entirely to him and Tony. Maria informed them roughly an hour ago that Montauk was in chaos because of scantily clad women running through the streets screaming about involuntary capture and sexual deeds.

Bruce wouldn't have to wait as long to see her now. There were less girls to auction off now because of the Montauk incident. "Ready, Mr. Bannon?" Tony clapped him once on the back. It had been years since he used David Bannon as an alias, but it sounded the most Parisian out of all of them. Because he spoke more French than Tony, he was expected to play the part of a French-American businessman revisiting his hometown.

Tony opted for Samuel Tallmadge, spitting out the first thing that came to mind when he reversed his first and last initials. One of them needed to seem American for the part, anyways. David Bannon would show Samuel around Paris, as directed. Once they approached the man Louvel reluctantly mentioned after being threatened with Mjölnir, they would initiate the code-speak conversation. Their cover story for seeking him out, should normal people listen in, was competitive prices and an array of exotic wares that would serve as souvenirs.

If Pierre Courgette tried to unnerve them with questions, they were businessmen for a winery. Samuel represented an American corporation that wanted to expand, and had met Mr. Bannon at the opening of their latest wine establishment in Gabon. According to their back-story, Bannon told Samuel he was a fool for not trying wine from Paris, and convinced him to browse. Upon drinking copious amounts of wine, to ease their wives' shock when they found the bank statements, they wanted to bring home something nice. "Women are crazy about rugs and drapes!" Tony defended before closing his mouth as the beauticians administered another layer of bronzer to make him seem darker.

Tony was too noticeable with his usual skin tone. He'd been painted a soft golden color on the areas unprotected by his vanilla suit. His brown eyes were darkened with flecks of blue owed to contacts. Gel was applied to his messy locks, his signature hairstyle traded for something that vaguely resembled Steve's look. Because Tony refused to part with his beloved mustache and beard, flesh-colored latex was affixed to the hair.

"Come on." Bruce trotted down the ramp, wishing he could move quicker without causing a scene. People would be wondering why he ran through the streets if he gave into the mad desire to sprint. To get there faster and find Cori. She would need something to kill this nightmare, and he was the answer. He was the prescription.

They found Courgette inside Total Tapis on the corner Avenue Carnot. Bruce allowed Tony to open the door, not trusting himself. The man was in his sights, and Hulk was ready to pounce. It would be much easier to strangle the information out of this man instead of wasting time having a sick conversation. Banner denied him once, and Hulk was certain he didn't have the strength to do so again.

"Hello," Bruce said in French as he closed in on the counter and subtly showcased the tattoo, "my American friend would like to see your selection." Courgette smiled. He had a dark, thin handlebar mustache that matched his onyx hair. It was done back in the pompadour style, a look they'd almost chosen for Tony on the jet.

"What brings you here?" Courgette asked in thickly accented English as he looked between them, trying to foresee what type they would ask about. Most of the time he guessed correctly. He was speaking English strictly for the American's benefit. Pierre would hate for his fellow Frenchman's mouth to be tired before visiting his newest purchase.

"I'm looking for something to brighten my house. Something unique and exclusive." Tony explained. "I was thinking something long would do…white with black fringe, maybe."

"How long, _monsieur_?"

"Twenty-six yards."

"A man who knows what he likes. Rare." Chuckled Courgette.

"He wanted to go to Gabon," Laughed Bruce, "but I told him Paris had more to offer."

"We do." Smiled Courgette. He looked around, finding a few browsers at the back of his store. "One moment." The Frenchman excused himself. Bruce resisted the urge to bend down and scream belligerently. His mouth tasted sour with barely-formed bile and he was having trouble holding it in with the rage. Everything in him wanted to Hulk out and smash the store, the slimy man.

"Take this to the storehouse on Rue Mange at fifth arrondissement. Ask for Jaque." He passed them a freshly printed barcode with a serial number below and a small carpet description at the top.

"You're not going to charge us for the carpet?" Tony played the part of a shocked American. Pierre grinned, enjoying the American's ignorance.

"The price will be discussed at the warehouse." Assured Pierre as he bid them goodbye before attending to a woman drawing up with a color card in hand.

"This way, Samuel." Bruce motioned for Tony to follow him. They took a fourteen minute bus ride to Rue Mange, finding only one storehouse. Banner wanted to run now, knowing there were few things between him and Coriander.

"Easy, Bruce." Whispered Tony, deathly close to his ear to avoid people overhearing. Bruce relaxed slightly. Tony was right….he couldn't be reckless now. It could jeopardize everything. Jacque met them after Bruce asked around for three minutes, and was dressed in an unassuming white polo and khaki pants.

Jaque said nothing, but gestured for them to follow. One look at the printed square was all it took, noticed Bruce with disgust. These people operated quickly and cleverly, without remorse. He led them around stacks of wood and bundles of rolled carpet until they stopped at a stairwell leading towards the utility room. After swiping a keycard and typing in a numeric password, he opened the door to point at the industrial heater.

They walked in. Jaque shut the door solidly behind them as Bruce investigated the industrial heater. The heater was, in fact, a ruse. It opened up into a weakly lit hallway that dissolved into stairs. "Genius." Congratulated Tony sarcastically as he shut the heater front and joined Bruce at the foot of the steps.

Descending three flights of stairs took them to a short hallway that opened into a large room. In the center of a room sat a large sphere of glass trimmed by a glossy black stage and walkway. Bruce grimaced, reminded of the Hulk's cage on the helicarrier. The floor was a soft gray lit by tiny bulbous lamps. Light reflected off squares of glass high above their heads, leading Bruce to believe that viewing rooms were built above them.

A man approached, demanding to see the printed label and the mark. Bruce flashed his arm again, locking his jaw together as they were taken to an elevator. "Buttons that glow are vacant rooms. When the button flashes red in your room, a new bid has been placed. Hit it yourself to increase the bid." Informed the man as Tony pushed him into the elevator before he punched the smirking attendant. "Enjoy your carpet." Heard Bruce before the doors shut completely. Tony pressed nine, the first number he saw.

Instead of going up or down like a normal elevator, Bruce could feel this one going left to right. A white number nine was the only indication that they found their room. An AI asked for the printed label and Bruce offered it, watching the doorknob emit a blue light to scan it. The door clicked audibly, sliding open to reveal a posh, extravagant room. The carpet – he scowled at the very word now – was pure white to offset the russet leather pieces and pale yellow walls.

A long, polished table held a variety of foods and sat beneath the mounted television. Bruce imagined the TV was for those too lazy to look out the window. Another table, a smaller one nearest the couch, was home to a silver box with a red button. Near the east wall was a tiny island brimming with alcohols and a menagerie of glasses. "Welcome, and thank you for coming." Said a female AI as the TV screen lit up with a view of the walkway and cage-like structure.

"Tonight's catalogue received an unexpected alteration. We apologize for the inconvenience." She explained. Bruce picked up a device he assumed to be a remote, only to find that it projected the catalogue. Nearly half of the glowing numbers died. He wondered which number was Cori's. There were still thirty-two girls in the catalogue, and the idea of watching that many sell was sickening and infuriating.

"Help me man the button, _Mr. Bannon_." Tony sat Bruce by the button to calm his shaking friend. Bruce needed relax before he Hulked out. Pressing the button would be an outlet. Coriander was number twenty-six, ironically, and Bruce snapped up at the sight of her on the TV. She wore an odd green leather number that he could only assume was the Mecha outfit because it didn't follow a fantasy like the previous twenty-five girls.

His heart cantered, taking comfort in the deliberate _A _made by the collar-like wraparound that connected with her broad-spaced shoulder straps. _A _for Avengers! His mind cried. The shoulder straps fed into a corset-like piece that would've exposed her cleavage, had it not been for the meager protection of a matching spandex- similar top trimmed to point down to her navel like an arrow. Her hips were accented in a tight skirt with thigh slits that were partially covered by connectors leading to her long, green boots. Despite the length of the skirt, little showed because of the high-riding boots.

Only Coriander's shoulders and stomach area were exposed. Bruce could live with that. Her hair had been heavily curled, and from the TV he could see a wet, pink color on her lips. She was terrified, bound at the wrists, and pale, because her markings were all too clear. Bruce locked his hand around the button, finding it needed a simple push to send the bidding amount five hundred dollars higher each time.

Tony had one hand over Bruce's, just in case his friend faltered. Like all the other girls, Cori's auction time was fifteen minutes. "Remember," the female AI seem to tease, "this is an Avenger! Comprehensive analysis puts her in peak physical condition. Her only flaw revolves around authority. This can be changed with training." At that reminder the price rose fifteen hundred dollars.

"FUCK YOU!" Bruce hollered at the TV, his insult meant for the AI, and Tony shushed him. No one came to interrupt the process. Maybe shouting was a regular occurrence here as people fought to outbid one another. Dr. Banner was tired of obeying the charade, tired of fighting, and just _wanted _Coriander. He was tempted to Hulk out, smash the window, and grab her himself. Fuck the competition and their money!

They couldn't compete with the Hulk! But…Tony was completely unguarded. Bruce couldn't risk his friend's safety. He wondered what the other Avengers were doing, and if the Montauk calamity had been cleaned up. Hulking out would be completely possible if the others were here to protect Tony.

It was the worst fourteen minutes of his life. Bruce dug the nails of his opposite hand into the couch as he and Tony kept their fingers laced over the button. With seconds remaining, they were outbidding the last of the competition. Coriander's price well exceeded the others. Most had backed off when the price hit thirty thousand, but Tony and Bruce were steadily combating the remaining buyer.

Nine red dots occupied the upper right corner of the television, each one representing a buyer. They disappeared one by one during the bidding if a buyer lost interest. With Tony's checkbook at hand, linked to his alias by SHIELD, Bruce was confident. The remaining buyer was in for a hell of a disappointment. Winners were never announced by the AI, but Bruce could see 'CONGRATULATIONS' flashing across the screen.

Bruce let out a pleased roar that was part Hulk and swept Tony up in a crushing hug. "No suit…can't breathe!" Wheezed Tony into his shoulder. He immediately dropped his friend, swallowing as he struggled to look composed. What should he do? Would they suspect something and withhold her?

Surely they wouldn't, right?

It didn't matter. She was in his vicinity…on her way to him. That was _his _and she was coming back! Everything would be okay, if not because of that fact. Coriander was thrown into the room six tense minutes later.

He began to wonder why until he saw red on her teeth. She'd attacked her deliverer. Coriander rolled swiftly to her side, rising up from the wobbly kneel to spit at her buyers. The man shut the door and Bruce relaxed, feeling Hulk retreat in satisfaction to the back of his mind. Her wrists were free, thanks to the deliverer, and Bruce enjoyed the feel of her embrace.

Cori thought the man resembled Bruce, but didn't see the curls. His eyes were an eerie green, though, and that deepened her hope. Those green eyes vanished in a mere blink and Cori's heart tightened at the familiar sight of those dark eyes. Beautifully brown, like chocolate. Sweet, like Bruce.

"Bruce!" She leapt at him, feeling him groan out a coarse note of happiness as he collapsed back into the loveseat. "I can't believe it's you!" Cori's hands shook with relief as she buried them into his hair. Her fingers were instantly caked with product, but she didn't care. Bruce was here. It was alright now.

Tony turned away as Bruce released a guttural moan of pleasure at the feel of her hands in his hair. Bruce felt like he'd been deprived of Cori for weeks, not hours. She rekindled and intensified his craving for her with those hands. With her desperate hug locking them together hard and fast. "I think we have five minutes left on the room." Mused Tony, pointing to the countdown on the TV.

He didn't want to turn and address his friend because sounds of kissing were audible. Tony felt relaxed enough to joke, and muttered "Biggest price tag on a dirty movie ever!" under his breath as Bruce ravished Coriander. Hearing Cori's breath hitch in ecstasy as Bruce growled into her wasn't something Tony wanted to remember. Clearly they were making the most of the five minutes.

Teenage Bruce and Hulk maintained the resilience of his tight hold. Bruce wasn't letting her go anywhere. Couldn't bear it. Little Bruce was happy to have his snuggling buddy back, and Adult Bruce seemed nonexistent. He was the most accurate representation of Bruce, and Bruce had few thoughts at the moment. Just emotions; emotions that demanded he secure his hold and kiss her until he died of hypoxia.

Bruce burrowed his fingers into the material of her skirt, nuzzling the junction of her neck and shoulder as she kissed his ear. Cori gasped, shivering as Bruce's lips finally pulled back from the vigorous sucking on her neck. It was made by him, that red mark. She was fine with that. Tony poured himself another shot of scotch, trying to ignore the happily reunited couple at his back.

"I love you." Cori buried her fingers in his hair, clenching the strands between her fingers as Bruce kissed his way up to her mouth while rocking against her. She took comfort in the feel of him hunkered over her like a protective blanket. Hungry for her, possessive and territorial, Bruce took a moment to lean his hips into her thighs. Coriander needed to know how badly she affected him. How much he needed her.

"Mmm…love you." Replied Bruce gruffly, airily, as he released her lips momentarily. He snuggled into her shoulder after kissing back towards her collarbone. Her smell entered his nostrils, along with the scent of soap, and Bruce couldn't be more content. The moment of desperation expired, and Bruce could breathe easy with Cori tucked beneath him.

"Unfortunately, you have lost." The AI spoke. Tony spat out his scotch and turned towards the TV.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He shouted to the TV.

"All purchases are granted a five minute time window for last-minute bids."

Bruce shot up in disbelief. "Why would you add something like that?" Tony yelled angrily at the AI.

"The feature was added after previous buyers requested more time to acquire funds. Since lengthening the bidding stage would be unwise, and ruin the process, a time window for challenges was invented." She replied smartly. Bruce felt his body turn to ice. Had the button been blinking? He hadn't noticed. Tony scowled.

It was in his nature to instinctively watch action. Until he met Cori and considered her something of a daughter. That was wrong. His desire for Bruce's privacy, and personal interest in not grossing himself out, had cost them dearly. Neither one of them had been watching the buzzer.

"What now?" Bruce asked Tony.

"Your key has been rendered invalid. The buyer is coming to retrieve the purchase." Answered the AI, unable to tell that the question wasn't for her.

"Hulk out." Encouraged Tony. Bruce slid off of Coriander, heart galloping wildly.

"Stay behind me." Bruce took a second to relish the feel of her hands on his shoulders before giving in to the Hulk. Hulk was raging mad now. He hated technology, unlike Banner, and thought the computer should go to hell. Cori was his – she was _back! _– and no one was taking her away from him. Not again.

Not when he could do something about it.

The next buyer was in for an unwelcome surprise. Hulk stroked Cori's face fondly, mewling reassurances before turning his attention to the door. His excellent hearing picked up a clicking sound. A man with dirty blonde hair stood there patiently as the door swung open, failing to be flustered by the Hulk's deafening roar. "In other words: she's not for sale." Tony supplied, setting down his drink.

Hulk pounded on his chest like a possessive, enraged gorilla.

"Then I suppose I'll need to take her." Smirked the man as he rolled up the cuffs of his emerald suit. Tony snorted, bristling at the threat. This guy was dressed too softly to seem intimidating. His emerald suit was pressed and lint free, buttoned snugly over a white turtleneck.

"Yeah, righ—" Tony didn't have time to finish. The man ripped off the door in the blink of an eye and swung it like a bat. Air fled Tony's lungs as he collided sharply with the back wall. Hulk bellowed, charging towards the man. This was no normal man.

Hulk snatched him up in one large hand, prepared to throw him out the window. He wound up his fist and flung his hand out. An empty hand. The smug blonde man had forced apart Hulk's fingers like he was opening a stubborn box. Enraged, Hulk stooped to grab at the man.

Tony's eyed widened as his green teammate was knocked on his ass by the force of an uppercut. Who was this guy? How could he be stronger than _Banner_? Sensing his question, the man took a moment to smile over at him before jumping inhumanely from the floor to the wall, ripping the TV down. Hulk was rubbing the pounding tenderness in his jaw when the little man leapt from atop his kneecap to smash him in the nose with the TV.

Tony rushed at the man now that he was empty-handed. The blonde man threw back his elbow, anticipating a sneak attack, and smirked as Tony molded around his elbow in pain. He spun, leading with his left hand to punch the billionaire in the mouth. Once Stark stumbled into the couch, he picked up the nearest armchair. Hulk picked the last piece of glass from his face as the smug man staked the armchair legs hard into Tony's midsection.

"Change back or I impale him!" Threatened the man. Hulk paused. Could he really do that to Tony? Maybe, considering he'd been knocked down by the force of one punch. Hesitating for a moment or two, Hulk gradually withdrew into Banner.

The man chuckled, muttering something about stupid people as he snapped his arms towards Bruce and flung the chair. Bruce cursed as he tumbled with the furniture, skidding to a stop against the wall, beneath the food table. Blood could be seen on the legs of the mistreated chair and Bruce frowned. Who was this guy? What did he get his hands on that made him so powerful?

Bruce cried out as the table splintered with the man's ferocious hop, the cracking noise serving as the only warning before falling down around and on him. He yelled out in panic as wet blood gush from his nose and the table pressed into his face. His body ached, his jaw hurt, but brought out the Hulk again. It was rare to transform so quickly in such a short time, and he paid for it with pain, but the table was heaved away. Hulk snorted, panting heavily as the man collided with the ceiling and fell back down with the remains of the table.

Hulk eyed the rip in his emerald sleeve, fully intending on widening it. Maybe taking his arm with it. Tony ran to the small island and filled a shot glass full of bourbon. Though a drink would dim the pain in his back, and take the sting from his chaffed, bleeding stomach, he sought to blind the man. It may not work, but he would still be a distraction.

The big guy only needed seconds to rip his head off, after all. Tony gave a mental cry of glee as the blond man turned brown eyes to him. Hulk issued a short laugh as the man cried and screwed his eyes shut, fully at his mercy. Feeling himself dangling by the rip in his right sleeve, the man unbuttoned his suit with his left hand before falling to the floor. He groaned beneath the Hulk's large foot as the beast ground it into the floor.

Beneath him the carpet sagged and creaked. It depressed, indicating that there would be a human-shaped hole soon. Hulk punted him into the couch, overturning it entirely as Tony grabbed a bottle of vodka and began to pour it around the man. If the ringleaders went to such great lengths to hide the market, they sure as hell didn't skimp on vodka. Vodka was flammable.

The logic ran through Tony's head, as understandable as the alphabet. Fine drinks were often accommodated by nice cigars. Who didn't like to smoke with a drink? Bottles oozed their contents on the carpet as he cleaned out the bar in search of matches or a lighter. Laying next to the corkscrew in a drawer was a box of cigars, cartons of various cigarettes, and a lighter.

Lighting on the fourth click, Tony pitched the lighter at the man. Cori ran for Hulk, knowing the man would ignite spectacularly when the fire landed. Hulk stroked her back warily, eyes trained on the man as he staggered off the floor and tried to run away from the oncoming lighter. She hugged his large ankle as the man's leg lit up. Strangely, he didn't scream.

He winced heavily, hobbling to the small stock of water bottles sitting on the island. The three watched in amazement as he doused the fire and peeled off the smoking cloth. His leg was healing rapidly, returning to a nude color like the fire never ruined it to begin with. "Surprised?" Teased the man as he took advantage of their shock and tore the top off the island, flinging it like a toy at the trio while bottles and glasses rained down. Hulk dove forward to shield Tony, large arm contracting around his friend as the table bounced off his bicep and skimmed Tony's head.

The billionaire lolled back into Hulk's arm. Hulk snorted in concern, watching crimson trickle from his scalp. "PUNY MAN HURT TONY! HULK SMASH!"

"Can't beat an alien with the ability to regenerate." Pointed out the man. Not wanting to listen, Hulk drove his fist into the man. It connected; the man collapsed to the floor. Within seconds he was up and clutching Hulk's wrist as he threw a leg onto it. The man lunged at Hulk's throat.

Hulk growled weakly, the punch landing on his throat. Wincing, throwing his head from side to side at the twin pinches near the base of his throat, Hulk tried to shake him off. He couldn't fit his arms around Hulk's entire throat, but could cut off air from the base. "You can change back _before_ or _after_ I suffocate you." Offered the male. The man smirked, feeling the pulse slow against his hands.

Banner was feeling the cost of rapid changing. Of the whole hectic day. His nose hurt, his jaw hurt, and the breathlessness was enough to make him dizzy. Bruce had rarely been pushed to this point, but knew even the Hulk couldn't continue on with his fatigue and disorientation. Focus and rage were required to maintain the Hulk, and he only had one of those at this point.

Seeing her two defenses stripped away, Coriander prepared to fight for herself. She should've done that in the beginning, she knew, but Bruce asked her to stay behind him. After hours – years, it felt like – of not hearing him, she'd complied. The training was for a situation just like this. "You, I can strangle," His eyes flicked to her amusedly as he stopped before her, "but I need you alive."

"Not going to happen!" Growled Cori.

"Oh, but it will." He assured. She couldn't leave Bruce and Tony in pain, and decided to fight instead of run. She kicked out to give herself room, spinning quickly as she jumped off the ground and hiked her knee up near his nose. Before it could connect, the man bent back inhumanely, grabbing a fistful of her dark hair with his right hand. She landed on her stomach as he forced her to the floor, squirming beneath him while he applied his leg to her neck.

"Bruce!" She choked out, "Bruce!"

His head pounded unmercifully, but he found the strength to peel his eyes open. Cori was gasping for air beneath the man, and it was like Betty and the sonic cannons all over again. Running on wisps of energy, Banner stood. "I'll only be a minute." Said the blonde nonchalantly as Bruce stumbled forward. Unconsciousness wasn't hard to accomplish when the right amount of pressure was held to the neck.

Banner's world spun without his glasses. Tilted and blurred because of his pain. Bruce felt himself fall to his knees and gritted his teeth – ignoring the ache in his jaw – as he crawled to her. Coriander stopped moving. Something hard and heavy landed on the back of his skull.

Bruce heard liquid slosh as he groaned into the floor. He was rolled onto his back, onto bits of glass, by the man. The image of a diamond-shaped face leading into a square jaw began to fade. "Tell the Captain I said 'hello'." Requested the man as he patted Bruce's face. Coriander's swaying hair and limp body were the last things Bruce saw before giving into the pain.

* * *

"_Tell the captain I said 'hello'."_

Bruce jerked away, groaning at the splitting pain in his skull.

"Good to see you're awake, Dr. Banner." Nick Fury left his line of vision as Bruce tried to move his body. It ached, and he felt pricks of pain at the needles in his arms. Machines beeped steadily around him.

"What happened?" Bruce mumbled slowly, feeling like he'd been given generous amounts of Novocain.

"Mr. Stark's watch sent out a distress signal and we retrieved you." Informed Fury. Pepper's crying registered in Bruce's mind.

"Is he-?"

"He's fine."

"Where's Cori?" Bruce grunted, wincing as he sat up to see Tony blissfully unaware. Tony looked to be sleeping, or in a drug-induced unconsciousness, as liquid continued to drip into his IV.

"Wasn't recovered. Whatever you fought took her with it." Fury frowned.

"Where's Steve?"

"I'm right here, Doc!" Ever the eager soldier, Steve jumped towards him instantly. His eyes conveyed worry and pity. "Would you like me to get you anything, Dr. Banner?"

"No." Whispered Bruce, shutting his eyes. "The man…he told me to tell you 'hello', but it doesn't make any sense." Bruce tried to shake his head, finding it impossible. He was too tired.

"What doesn't make any sense, Dr. Banner?"

"That he would know you." Bruce mumbled, brows clenching in confusion as he tried to piece it together. "You've been frozen for seventy years. Anyone you'd know would be dead, or really close to it. Nowhere near the level of strength that guy had."

"What did he look like?" Steve may not know much about the present, but had an immaculate recollection of the past. His past fueled him. The loss of Peggy humbled him, and multiple rejections from the army convinced him to stay in shape. Bruce wearily described the man, feeling himself drift in and out of sedation. An unhappy hum left Steve.

Dr. Banner's eyes opened slightly as he flicked them towards his friend. "Do you know him?" Bruce queried, feeling his tongue slide around in his mouth like wobbly jell-o.

"Yes. If it's who I think it is, we'll have to change our attack plan. He can't be taken on alone."

"No shit," Snorted Clint, and Bruce perked up at the sound of more people. He couldn't see him, but could hear him. "He took down Banner!"

"I think you and I are on the same track, Mr. Rogers." Fury sighed through his nose.

"Who is it?" Bruce demanded. His mind barely kept up with the conversation. He was tired and the drugs were strong.

"Herr Kleiser, a high-ranking Chitauri officer that infiltrated earth during World War II." Fury revealed.


	17. An Alien Concept

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN**: Thanks to Dark Topaz, La Bella Figura, The Red Dove, xXSakura-Hime-SamaXx, Dark Moons and Whispered Words, ThoughtlessRage, SophiaStark, and the unnamed "Guest" who just said 'why the hell would you do that!'. Um…is that a good 'why the hell' or a bad one? Regardless, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! SIXTEEN VIEWS UNTIL 100, BABY! After this chapter there's only one left. Unless I choose to do the other one I'm thinking of (it's just a tie-up chapter).

This chapter may seem a bit disgusting since it has Kleiser being eaten by the Hulk. Sorry this came out late. Got tied up in family business. May get the Captain America story out tomorrow before I go to work. If not, it'll be the day after that.

Just putting out there for anyone who liked the way I dabbled in the _Avengers_: I'll be coming out with a Steve Rogers/Captain America story within the next three days called _The Pursuit of Liberty. _It will be filed under _Avengers_, also.

* * *

Sixteen: An Alien Concept

Wincing at sunlight baring down on her face, Coriander opened her eyes. She sat up, hissing in pain at her throbbing cheek. That's right, Cori blinked sleepily as it all came back to her. An inhumanely strong man shoved her to the floor by a fistful of hair. Bared down on her neck with his leg until she fainted.

Her blurred vision came into focus, revealing olive green walls, white trim, and maroon curtains pulled back by golden ties. This is a completely different room, Cori realized with mounting panic. Where _was _she? She lurched from the bed, stumbling on uncooperative legs towards the window. Cori knew Manhattan – it's colors, the street signs, the cab company names! – but recognized none of the things beyond the window.

"Where am I?" Coriander whispered angrily, curiously to herself.

"In Munich." Answered a man's voice. Coriander spun around at the invasion and growled. He smiled with a cool politeness that made her sneer as he calmly set the tray of food down. His emerald suit had been traded for an unbuttoned navy blue blazer and white undershirt. Her buyer wore a cologne that smelled musky and heavy.

She wrinkled her nose at his scent, the pleasant wave he gave the tray. "Sit, please." Requested the man as he motioned to the matching wheat-colored chair adding a pop of color to the dark goldenrod tablecloth. Begrudgingly, Coriander sat. Her growling stomach alluded to her hunger. Denying that she was starving would only be a blatant lie, and Cori figured it was best not to anger this man.

The shock of him overpowering the Hulk lingered freshly in her mind. Fear was not her only motivator; if she ate, she could fight back. Food would give her energy, and allow her to tap into the power that made her Mecha. The gift that made her an Avenger. From her position at the table she could see two hallways extending teasingly off either side of the bed.

It was clear the design centered on the bedroom. Coriander bet one of the hallways led to a bathroom. The other likely led to a living room, though she couldn't imagine why they would need a living room. A TV loomed overhead, visible comfortably only from the bed. Beyond her captor's shoulder she could see a balcony through a set of French doors.

Her heart thundered unmercifully as she turned to look around the room. Behind her was the door. The urge to run was overwhelming, but dulled by her rumbling stomach. "Eat." Suggested the man as he filled a glass with pale yellow champagne plucked from the bucket in the middle of the table.

"Why should I?" Coriander mumbled distrustfully, crossing her arms self-consciously over the green outfit. She fell in love with it because Faith had made it. Because it was unique, like her. It was something to hate under his evaluating, steely eyes. He smiled, holding the champagne up towards the window to watch sunshine lighten it.

"Because I know you're hungry. Yes, those men told me _all about _the task of getting you to the warehouse. You've had little to eat since then. Only enough to keep you from fainting on the stage, if I recall."

He's right, Cori frowned. The silver platter looked extremely tempting with its spotless, glossy shine. Strawberries, blue berries, and grapes seemed even brighter against the silver. Fresher, glistening with the slight chill of preserved ripeness. Her fingers were centimeters away from the bowl and an even smaller cup of dipping sugar to roll them in.

She vaguely distinguished a plate of crepes covered in chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. Coriander thought it was crepes, anyways. _Something_ was smothered in chocolate and sugar on a large, teasing plate sitting in the center of the tray. Packets of butter and honey were clustered above the fruit bowl due to lack of space on the left where her toast and orange juice sat. The long, judgmental stare was broken when she couldn't hold it any longer.

His eyes were vague and cold. Amused, but controlled. Eating would give her the energy to fight, a reason to avoid his gaze, and she picked up toast with that in mind. For the time being, she let him remain stoic as he nursed champagne. The time for answers would come soon enough.

Coriander discovered three impeccably folded crepes beneath the chocolate sauce and winced as she bit into the first one. The chocolate coating was divine, but a bitterness assaulted her tongue soon after. She puckered her lips and forced herself to swallow instead of stick her tongue out. "Weird sugar." Mumbled the woman as his lightly tanned face cocked to the left in curiosity. He returned to observing her, smiling softly and smugly.

Did he know something she didn't?

Feeling unnerved by the silence, his smile, Coriander locked her eyes on the crepes. Why wasn't he saying anything? She imagined most abductors would be ranting about their plans, about their brilliance, by now. "You're an unusual person." He stated as she picked a blueberry off the top and traced patterns in the leftover chocolate sauce. The three crepes had been given way too much chocolate and she wasn't about to waste it.

She'd eat everything on the tray and then beat him with it.

"So are you." Shot back Coriander quickly, feeling at a disadvantage as she eyed the stranger. She knew nothing about him, aside from his impressive display of strength. Leaving him in silence to smile at her didn't seem right. The whole situation felt wrong because she'd been purchased by him, and stuffed herself at his request. "You're an unusual captor." Coriander conceded after a few quiet moments when she finished devouring the last piece of toast.

"My hospitality is only fair," He explained while raising his champagne glass in a mock toast, "to success!"

"Buying me was a success?"

"No, my dear. What's to come is a success!"

"And what's to come?" Coriander finished the bowl of fruit. His calm conversation was unnerving. She expected him to snap and become enraged at any moment. Most people who took on a team of heroes had issues, Cori knew.

"You won't be awake to find out." He swilled the drink. After finishing the glass he smiled, licking his lips. "That's not sugar, after all."

* * *

The Other Guy gave him an advanced healing factor, and for that Bruce was grateful. Because of it he could get back on his feet faster. Tony lumbered behind him, sucking in a quiet breath occasionally as he scrounged for more things to fill their bag. A bag of weapons only seemed fair when Bruce considered that he'd been knocked on his ass by an otherwise unassuming man. Between SHIELD and Stark Solutions, Bruce thought they playing field would be leveled.

Fury and Steve tried to explain Kleiser as best they could. Steve relied on a memory seventy years out of date, but could recall swift healing and super-strength (which corroborated his and Tony's experience). Nick Fury had little to offer but the fact that the Chitauri, in general, could shape shift. The scraps of evidence SHIELD had on Kleiser and his involvement with HYDRA and the Nazis of WWII left little to the imagination where his character was concerned.

Bruce feared the worst for Cori. He took comfort in the fact that she hadn't moved for almost six hours. JARVIS initiated a global scan after Bruce came to the first time, and placed her in Munich, Germany. He should be tired, but wasn't. In Manhattan it was roughly four in the morning, but in Munich it was ten a.m.

He couldn't sleep knowing Kleiser was up and about. Plotting, maybe torturing her. His worst fear was Kleiser eating her. Fury suspected that the Chitauri shape-shifted by ingesting the bodies of the people he wished to mimic, as Herr Chameleon had never been found after the events of WWII. Kleiser resembled Chameleon too much for it to go unnoticed.

Is that his plan? Wondered Bruce. Would Kleiser eat Coriander and run back to them while playing the victim? He could destroy them from the inside if he did that. Bruce Banner would fail to exist if Kleiser did that. Powered by grief-based rage, Hulk would likely remain in power for the rest of his natural life.

Or so it felt.

The very idea of Cori dying for Kleiser's gain soured his stomach. Made his skin shudder as his knuckles popped. "Dr. Banner?" Natasha stood in the doorway; he could hear her heels on the lab floor. He appreciated her giving him space as he dealt with the delicate situation, with his fragile control, and mused dryly that it was like when they met. "The jet's ready." She informed, clearly waiting for him to detach from the computer.

Bruce had been staring at the same screen for hours. He'd only left the lab to check on Tony, and that happened because JARVIS could project the screen throughout the house. "I'm coming." Bruce whispered tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck. She hadn't moved from the hotel Schönen Himmel in hours.

According to JARVIS, she was alive. That was all he could ask for. Until he arrived, of course. When he confronted Kleiser again – better prepared – there would be no asking, only _ass-kicking_. SHIELD followed them in the helicarrier as Tony's slightly altered, personalized version of the SR-71 Blackbird shuttled them to Munich.

Kleiser was a very wanted man.

Normally, a plane ride from Manhattan to Munich would take eight hours. In Tony's jet – testing safety and time at a rate of Mach 3.4 – they would be there in two. Math was always a comfort to Bruce, and now was no exception. Processing calculations of distance, speed, and time kept him from Hulking out. "Our best bet is to rip him apart." Steve decided after they watched the recorded footage of Tony and Bruce getting demolished.

Bruce swallowed, patting his palms loosely on his knees. Ripping things apart was something the Hulk could do. And Thor, too. He flicked brown eyes to his teammate, wondering how the first battle would've gone if the blonde god had been there. Tony snored softly in the co-pilot seat, sleeping through the growing pain in his stomach.

He'd woken up pissed and aching, but understanding. Tony didn't like having his drugs taken away, but needed a clear mind to fly the suit. Bruce respected his choice. Unlike himself, Tony wasn't super-powered. He was prone to bruising and pain, and had certainly felt it under Kleiser. Instead of manning something from Stark Tower where Pepper waited anxiously, he'd climbed on board to sit with them all.

That meant a lot to Bruce. He was used to people running away, not running up to volunteer their services when going into battle with him. Clint picked quietly through his arrows, observing the pieces while counting how many of each kind he had in the quiver. Natasha polished a set of knives, intending to use them for the greater purpose of segmenting Kleiser. Steve sat silently in the captain's seat, eyes trained on the sky.

"I do not know if this will ease your discomfort, friend Banner, but Cori is part Chitauri so the chance is greater that she will emerge alive."

"She's human, Thor." Corrected Bruce. Coriander was not an alien. Far from it. In fact, without Tony, she'd be the only person on the planet capable of understanding him.

"But the Chitauri DNA _is _in her. She may possess these qualities, as well. Kleiser's are simply stronger, and it will take all his might to undo our camaraderie in battle." He assured, clapping Bruce on the back. The force was enough to send him forward, but Bruce managed to ground himself before he flew into Clint.

"How long until we reach the hotel, JARVIS?" Bruce inquired, feeling a mix of depression and fatigue weigh him down. Willing himself to feel something but angry, he focused on the sleepiness. Sleepiness couldn't hurt his teammates while they were hundreds of feet in the air.

"A little under an hour, sir."

His consciousness drifted as the child-like hope of Little Bruce filled him. Bruce managed the tiniest of smiles. If we can get past mom's death, it seemed to say, we'll beat this. He believed it, and allowed himself to slip into the sleep he so desperately needed. "Look alive, Dr. Banner. We've landed." Bruce jolted as the gloved hand shook him gently by the shoulder.

Had he really been sleeping that long? The doctor sighed, fingering grooves left by his glasses as he stood. Seconds after standing, his brain processed Steve's comment. Hulk bounced around the interior of his head, waking Banner up and prepping him for battle. Bruce handed the bag off to Clint as he rushed down the ramp to follow Captain towards Schönen Himmel.

JARVIS landed as closely as he could. Bruce's hair swayed heavily under the breeze of Tony's suit as he surged ahead. The jet closed itself, locking up tightly as Clint and Natasha jumped to the nearby roof. Schönen Himmel was only eight buildings away. People stopped to point and cheer, but Bruce ignored them.

Tony was an unmistakable symbol of their arrival, as was Captain. Their current directive was to find Coriander in Schönen Himmel before Kleiser moved her. Or worse. "Bad news," Heard Bruce as Tony returned from a short loop around Schönen Himmel, meeting him and Captain halfway, "we've lost her signal."

"What do you mean?" Asked Captain, a bit confused. They'd followed the signal here. How could it be gone? It was on just seconds ago! "Are you sure you're not experiencing a…what was it? A glitch?"

"JARVIS doesn't _have _glitches, Cap." Informed Tony, a bit hurt that he would question JARVIS.

"It means Ms. Henson is experiencing a state of unconsciousness, Mr. Rogers." Replied the AI.

"Unfortunately, there's more." Tony flipped up his faceplate. "Play the audio, JARVIS."

"Yes sir." Through Tony's open helmet they could hear Cori.

_"GRAAH!"_ Howled Cori. The sound of teeth clacking together was heard before a male voice, Kleiser, yelled in pain. _"Fuck you, asshole! I told you to _let go _of me!"_ She snapped.

_"Stupid human!" _Spat Kleiser, _"Your language has evolved for the worst since the last time I arrived. But, yes, I intend to 'fuck you'. How else am I to get the information I require?"_

_"Over my damn dead body!"_

_"You only need to be alive for the spill of my seed. Then I'll kill you, if you so wish. Of course…I think the greater agony would be to live with yourself after I claim your secrets and ruin your precious planet, don't you think?"_

_"Actually the greater agony is looking at your ugly-ass face."_

_SMACK!_

A shuddery breath. _"I've been hit harder by women, pal."_

_"Put that defiant mouth to good use and eat your sugar."_ Gagging and growling could be heard.

The threads of control Bruce possessed vanished instantly. What did the alien mean by sugar? Was he…did he…? Hulk wouldn't allow him to weigh the possibilities as he charged from the back of his mind and exploded through Banner's clothes like tissue paper. He gave a mighty roar, picking up the nearest vehicle.

"Easy, easy big guy! There are innocent people who _aren't _Kleiser in there. Let Natasha and Clint find his room, then you can smash. Save your smashing. Remember how strong he is?" Tony spun twice around Hulk's head, creating a distracting ring of red and gold.

Hulk snorted, crushing the car in half before setting it down. Something would feel the brunt of his anger. _"Tony_!" JARVIS patched Natasha through to his helmet. The suddenness of her voice was enough to pull Tony from calming Banner.

"Give me something good!" Encouraged Tony.

_"Room seven-thirteen!"_

"We're on our way. Cap, Thor, follow me! C'mon big guy!" Tony barely had time to fly to the seventh level. Hulk nearly smashed him into the building on accident. The gusts he generated in the large leap were enough to make his suit whistle. Thunder echoed as Thor swung his hammer, levitating with Captain in his grasp. Tony didn't know if Thor's hammer or Hulk's fist smashed the windows first, but knew his teammates were streaming in and stopping.

"Just a minute," Grunted Kleiser, "I'm almost finished." Hulk, towering over everyone, saw it first. Cori limp on the bed, wrist bouncing against the edge of the mattress as if to wave at them. Pale skin looking even whiter against the fragments of green that were once her uniform. Kleiser positioned at her back as the bed jumped and squeaked. Her abandoned skirt on the floor.

The darkening bruise on her right cheek that matched the thick, circular impression around her neck.

Kleiser stifled a grunt as Tony fired a beam that sent him to the floor. It was sudden and hot, and Kleiser hadn't expected the weak man to return in such a fascinating suit. Hulk roared loudly, shaking the room as he bolted for the shocked, exposed man. "Didn't learn last time, beast?" Kleiser shimmied his chest once, flexing his arms to break out of the tight squeeze.

"Oh, we learned." Assured Tony as Captain bound over the bed to check on Cori. She'd been knocked to the floor by the force of Hulk's snatch. He frowned; it wasn't good. Clint shot a heat-seeking arrow at Kleiser as he broke out of Hulk's hand. The arrow pierced him, mid-descent, in his upper torso. Kleiser's laugh was cut short when the arrow exploded.

He was thrown towards the door. "Tony, take her!" Captain vaulted over the bed. "She needs to get to the helicarrier's med bay immediately!"

"We gotta stop doing this, Squirt." Tony frowned, brushing a lock of short hair from her face. It was unsettling to see her so still. Memories of the accident came rushing back. A large crash broke the spell and Tony looked up to see Kleiser kneeing Thor in the face as he soared overhead in a magnificent jump normal people shouldn't be able to perform. His boosters sent him skyward and Tony zoomed towards the shattered remains of the window.

"I don't think so." He felt Kleiser grab his leg, weighing him down like an anchor.

"I think so." Tony kicked his foot up the slightest inch and used the hot thrusters to burn Kleiser's arm. Despite his regenerative ability, constant heat eating at his flesh convinced him to let go. Tony turned, floating away slightly to observe his handiwork. Kleiser's hand had literally been burnt from his arm, the skin four inches below his wrist charred heavily, almost beyond recognition. He became half-hypnotized at the sight of Kleiser's hand healing itself in separate pieces.

"Go, soldier!" Steve snapped him back to reality. Tony took off, loving Kleiser's frustrated howl echoing behind him. A bolt of lightning pierced the hotel building, burrowing through the floors until it reached the seventh one. Tony could only assume Thor was getting back at Kleiser for that knee to the face. The jet opened up immediately, and Tony passed Coriander off to Maria before returning to the fight.

He saw Kleiser spitting angrily as he crouched in the corner, waiting for his hand to recombine with the flesh of his arm. Tony made a mental note that Kleiser could only repair severed parts if he had both of them in contact with one another. Kleiser was scorched and smoking, but seemed otherwise unaffected. Prepared to choke him with the string of his bow, Clint confronted the alien and threw his weapon around his neck. Using his shoulders and good hand, Kleiser threw Clint off.

Clint retaliated by firing an arrow through the unconnected hand Kleiser tried to fuse with the remains of his arm. The alien spat curses at the "insolent human" as his hand was impaled and carried to the adjacent wall. Hulk walked over to the thin, embedded thing to spite Kleiser. He was tired of Kleiser calling him stupid, and madder than he'd ever been. How could he do that to Cori?

Hulk couldn't even fathom.

Still, Kleiser deserved to feel the same pain and disgust that he felt. Treating the tiny arrow like a skewer, Hulk stuck it between his teeth and let the flesh fall in his mouth like a piece of chicken. "You idiot!" Snapped Kleiser, letting the first real trace of surprise and horror flicker across his face, "How _dare_ you!" Several tiers of alarms went off in Tony's head at the sight. Kleiser was freaking out worse than a controlling bride ten minutes away from walking down the aisle. If he reacted this badly, then they'd just happened upon a weakness he couldn't compensate for.

"You're screwed." Grinned Tony as it all began to make sense. Fuming, Kleiser snorted at him.

"Explain, friend Stark!" Demanded Thor after knocking Kleiser away like a fly. Furious and coming undone, he tried to off the weaker members without powers (Clint and Natasha) but didn't succeed.

"Kleiser's unable to regenerate if the part can't be applied to the original position on his body."

"So we must withhold his parts from him?" Thor verified.

"Yes." Tony turned the crimson and gold mask to Kleiser, white eyes glowing almost demonically.

"Ready to eat, Doctor Banner?" Clint looked up to the large, green man with a smile. The Hulk roared and thumped his chest, flashing teeth that were tinted red.

"Go for the legs!" Ordered Steve as he closed in on Kleiser and the two exchanged blows. Steve had the upper hand against his enemy, possessing both hands and an indestructible shield, and managed to knock him on his back. "Hit my shield, Thor." Offered Steve, pinning Kleiser down with Natasha and Clint's help as he positioned the shield directly over the socket inserting the leg into the pelvic region. The blonde god complied, hearing Steve's shield hum as his hammer ricocheted. Kleiser's leg came off with a cry of rage and a small amount of blood.

His athletic alien body was quickly being reduced to stumps. Thor tossed the leg to Hulk, who picked off the clothes and swallowed it like a noodle. "Not so tough now, are you?" Tony flew calmly above Kleiser, watching the alien struggle to support himself with one leg and a stilted right arm.

"Can't beat an alien with the ability to regenerate." Mocked Hulk. Oh yes, he remembered. Tony had just passed out in his arms as the man watched, as he teased him. He started some of his teammates who assumed he only spoke small, unintelligent sentences. Kleiser also floundered, shocked that such a powerful monster had the capacity to remember anything from their last encounter.

Natasha saw her chance and took it. Kleiser sucked in a sharp breath as three knives pierced the skin of his left arm. Clint followed up with an explosive arrow that sent Kleiser's good arm flying. The alien scrambled to recover it, but Tony took him down at the waist before he could reach it. Tony fully intended to pay him back for the stomach pain, and sat stubbornly on top of Kleiser as he pushed one palm into the skin of his abdomen and released a laser.

Kleiser refused to cry out in pain for these people. He wouldn't leave this world losing. While he was losing physically, he wouldn't lose emotionally. The greatest damage he could do to them now was denying them total satisfaction. They'd interrupted him before he could release, so Kleiser only had fragments to destroy them with.

Against a team of superheroes, that wasn't enough. Without his arms, and with only one leg, he knew defeat was imminent. "Quit fooling around, Stark!" Barked Steve. He liked to see Kleiser suffer as much as the next guy, but they needed to get Banner away from battle. The news wouldn't be easy to share, but he figured doing away with Kleiser would take the edge off.

"If you insist." Sighed Tony, slightly bored. Kleiser cursed his name and muttered something about Pepper Potts as his leg was burnt off. Steve tossed the appendage to Thor and watched it make its way to Hulk.

"Want the last piece?" Teased Tony as he and Captain heaved the torso up and carried it to Hulk. Hulk scooped him up and Kleiser swallowed. He refused to fear death. Kleiser was basically immune to the fear, the concept, since he'd participated in WWII so many years ago. It was simply regarded as a process now, though it wasn't something he imagined seeing for a long time.

Hulk clutched the torso tightly in one hand. The idea to gobble him up right there was tempting, but something weighed on his mind. It was Bruce bleeding through. "What Kleiser mean about _su-gar_?" Hulk exaggerated the word so the man would understand. Something in Banner's stomach had turned unmercifully when they heard the audio.

Kleiser just chuckled. Hulk growled, blowing a hot warning breath into his face. It smelled of flesh and blood. "PUNY MAN ANSWER HULK! HULK EAT!" He'll probably chew me slowly, thought Kleiser as the large mouth opened to reveal big pearly teeth with depressions large enough for him to sit in. Or so it looked.

"I ground up one of your medications. It was white, so I passed it off as sugar." He explained.

"Which one?"

"I didn't look at the name." Sneered Kleiser. And he didn't. The symptoms list was all he needed. When he saw the little tablets helped fight insomnia, he bought them.

"Eat him!" Instructed Tony. "Clint, 'Tasha, help me find that pill bottle." The three modern-savvy members bolted in different directions instantly. Steve busied himself by picking up the remains of Cori's outfit as Thor tuned out the sound of bones crunching.

"Nothing." Breathed Natasha as she returned moments later. "The bathroom's a mess. I found the electric razor in a heap, but that was it."

"TV's busted in the living room. Looks like she pulled the wires out of it and tried to fight with them. Stereo system's in pieces, furniture's turned over, but no pill bottle."

"I got it." Tony's suit clanked as he marched back into the room. A makeshift container had been made from two bowls. It was hell grabbing finely grated powder to put it in the bowl, but he did it. Tony picked up as much as he could find. There wasn't a lot left.

It would barely qualify as a sample, but they had something. "I need you to let Banner out, okay buddy? He and I are going to take a look at this."

"Cori…" Hulk mewled. The fight was wild, but now that it was calm he could reflect on what he'd seen. That wasn't right, the way he'd found her. It hurt him to see her like that. So vulnerable, so still.

"She'll be okay." Tony patted his hand before clamping his fingers around the two bowls. Hulk withdrew into Banner. Thor carried Captain back to the helicarrier, Tony following close behind with an exhausted Bruce dangling confidently from one hand. Clint and Natasha arrived first, drawing to a stop before Maria Hill. Stark knew something was wrong when Maria stood outside and not Fury.

She'd been entrusted with Cori, and shouldn't be outside. If she was, it wasn't good. Her usually stoic face was on, leaving Stark incapable of reading her. "Take a seat." Advised Maria.

"We can be briefed inside." Bruce stood, looking at Maria with a mix of irritation and exhaustion. He wanted to see Cori now that he was coherent. A patient without her doctor was beyond wrong. She needed him now, and Maria was something he could easily move out of his way.

"She's no longer among the living, Banner." Maria regretted to inform. The news halted Bruce with the force of Mjölnir. His brain pulsed painfully as he tried to register the information. Bruce felt short of breath.

"No…" Bruce's head spun as his knees buckled. He felt Tony wrap his arms around him, but iron couldn't quell the shaking. "No! No, you're a lying _bitch_!" Banner lunged forward, but ended up draping himself over Tony's locked arms. Have to see for myself, his head spun, they're not doctors! thought Bruce. Tony frowned, understanding the anguish he couldn't dampen as he released his friend.

Death wasn't something people took lightly. Especially a sudden one like this. It needed to be seen to sink in. Maria flew back into the rooftop as Bruce shoved her aside, veins turning green as he stomped up the ramp and into the helicarrier. His footprints remained, beckoning the others to follow.

They could hear Bruce yelling at the three doctors and two nurses in the med bay. "I don't care what your tests say!" He screamed. "I want to do my own!"

"But sir!" One objected, "It clearly shows-!"

"You can either: shut up and let me work or you can get the hell out and _let me work_! Which do you want?" Bruce pinned the doctor with a scalding glare, nostrils flexing angrily like the Hulk's did as he tried to contain his panting. The sheer volume of Bruce's shout was enough to keep them at bay. Med bay personnel looked to the remaining Avengers pleadingly. Clearly they wanted Bruce removed. "Tony…" Bruce looked up to his friend, begging to be understood.

"We can fix this…we can fix her." Whispered Bruce convincingly. Tony didn't know if Bruce was trying to convince him, or himself. "Take that to the lab and analyze it. We'll make an antidote and incorporate it into her IV."

A low beeping caught their attention. It was occasional, and soft, but it was still a pulse. "There's a high chance she won't survive the duration it takes for you to concoct an antidote." Informed one of the doctors grimly but honestly.

"She has a pulse." Snapped Bruce. "You can't call her a lost cause!"

"Ms. Henson is functioning at twenty beats per minute. That is _not _a stable condition, Dr. Banner. Even you have to realize that! She's basically dead!" The second doctor turned to him. "If she manages to survive – if, _if_, mind you! – there could be extensive brain damage."

"She's survived one traumatic brain injury. She can do it again." Tony stepped forward, giving Bruce hope. Twenty beats per minute was good enough for him. His readings were probably that grim in Stark Tower when Obadiah took his arc reactor. And yet, here he was.

"Fine," Relented the third doctor. "We'll give you thirty minutes. Unfortunately, that's all we can offer. We're under orders from The Council." They explained. Tony snorted. The doctors said The Council was calling the shots, but he doubted it. In the face of Bruce – who could turn into an eight-foot rage monster – he wouldn't want to accept responsibility, either.

Bruce's fingers were stubbornly burrowed into Coriander's dark locks, his lips sealed to her forehead as he whispered sweet nothings. Tony heard the occasional soft peck. "I'm on it, Bruce." Stark promised, breezing past the three doctors towards the labs.

"I can't lose you. I won't." Mumbled Bruce into her hair. Cori's hair had been cut until it was four inches above her shoulders, but he didn't care. She was still Cori. More layers had been added, but even the layers, shortening, and product couldn't take away from her natural waves. The ends of her flipped-out hair still curled at the end, and it made him smile.

Despite the alterations, Cori was Cori. If her hair was the same, then she was the same. She would pull through. She had to. "If I do…there's nothing left. I won't have anything left." Shrugged Bruce, combing his fingers through her hair.

Her markings were a pale green, almost invisible, and the observation made him blanch. That meant she was weak. The idea was enforced by the occasional bleat of her heart monitor. "Dr. Banner." Fury failed to look different, though Bruce thought he was quieter. Was it because he was in the medical area of the ship?

Bruce looked up, fingers planted in Cori's hair.

"I need you to follow me." Fury eyed him calmly.

"Are you crazy?" Bruce snapped, scowling at him. "I'm not leaving her! She needs me!"

"Unfortunately, I don't have time to wait. It's imperative that you come with me. We need to extract Kleiser from your insides before he converges and rips you apart from within." Fury continued. Frustrated, Bruce weighed the options. Fury was right to be concerned, and eradicating Kleiser was important. But…so was this. Coriander was impossible to move, connected to multiple machines.

Thor, Captain, Natasha, and Clint were still in the room. He looked to them. "Watch her." Commanded Bruce. "Don't let them do anything to her." Steve gave him a soft salute as Thor nodded, Clint roping his foot around the leg of the nearest chair to sit. Natasha sat quietly in the one beside him as Bruce followed Fury below deck to a highly mechanized room smelling heavily of motor oil and heat.

"We need The Other Guy to have a bowel movement." Fury said rather bluntly as he gestured to the rolling conveyor belt dropping off into an incinerator. Bruce wasn't entirely sure how they'd built an incinerator into the ship, but didn't ask questions. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could go back to watching Cori. It was incredibly hard for him or the Hulk to concentrate with everything that had happened, but he found himself finishing fifteen minutes later and cleaning up. Hulk withdrew into Banner for the second time, wanting the scientist to find the labs, and Tony, so they could work on an antidote.

Thirty minutes was an unlikely deadline with a slim chance of success, but Bruce had faced worse odds. He was a walking medical wonder, and knew something could be done for this situation if a gamma bomb didn't kill him. Between his mind and Tony's, something was sure to happen. He stumbled to the lab, watching Tony shoo off several willing assistants as he hunched protectively over his work. "Serum." Tony said, "Infused Serum." And jabbed the metal rod he used to prod Bruce into the viscous mixture to cook it further.

Bruce could see specks of green and white in there. "Ground up plants and other pills to negate individual components of the sleeping aid. JARVIS and I couldn't correctly identify which sleeping pill it was, but knew it was from the benzodiazepines class. We're dealing with old-school sleeping pills." Revealed Tony as he continued to heat the mixture. They had fifteen minutes to cool and liquefy it.

Or find a sustainable temperature to keep it liquefied without burning the IV bag. Bruce slipped on a pair of gloves and goggles as he watched Tony pour water into the mix and make notes off to the side. Apparently he was adding a quarter-inch of water each time and marking the viscosity. It clicked in Bruce's brain, much like the way anything did while he was with Tony. "We'll make two batches," Bruce's mind wheeled almost too fast for his body to keep up, "we'll freeze the second batch until it hardens. Then, we'll boil it. The water from the second one can be combined with the first to make it liquid enough _and _lukewarm for the bag without reducing the chemical properties."

"We have fifteen minutes." Tony eyed him as if they were tackling something less than life saving, giving the silent cue for them to run around like mad. While Tony spooned part of his concoction into a mold tray, Bruce filled a metal container with water. By the time Bruce set it on the industrial burner, Tony put the mix in the freezer and locked it on the lowest temperature. It would only take minutes to freeze, but any way they looked at it, they were fighting the clock.

Bruce amassed IV bags while resuming Tony's study of water and viscosity. Freezing the concoction would take about five minutes. The water boiled three minutes later and Bruce carefully set it aside. If it was too hot it could denature some of the plant life without retaining the properties and enzymes. "Ten minutes, gentlemen." Informed one of the nurses from earlier as Tony juggled the freezing cube and raced over to the piping hot water to drop it in.

While Tony stirred the quickly melting blend, Bruce used his electric prong to burn a series of holes into three plastic containers and lids. It made a three tier colander of sorts that would speed up the straining and accelerate the liquefying process. They combined the viscous and liquid mix after four minutes of straight straining. Bruce felt like one of those shady game dealers from switching the colander-like containers so much. It was like a game – which one now? Where's the water now? Keep your eye on the containers! – and it made his head spin.

Tony gave it one last mix before he and Bruce dumped the contents into one container and carefully made a hole in the side to fill the bags. It was messy and quick, but they had three bags. "Clean that up." Tony pointed to the nearest assistant. Some of it had gotten on the floor, but that wasn't there problem. They needed to get to the med bay before Cori was put in a body bag.

Thor and Captain did a fine job of looking intimidating, thought Bruce. Hulk and Thor didn't usually get along, but he bet they would now. The nurses and doctors were having a hard time getting by either man. "Don't take her anywhere." Bruce practically strutted into the room before changing out the shriveling IV bag and supplying one of the infused ones. The doctors and nurses looked to Fury for direction.

Fury just stood there with the ghost of a smile on his lips. He wasn't impressed that Banner and Stark pulled this off. In fact, he was expecting it. "Give her an hour. We'll base our decision off of her condition then." He then turned and walked off, no doubt going to converse with the Council. The room's occupants filed out wordlessly, sensing Bruce needed time alone.

"You'll be okay." Swore Bruce, kissing her forehead. Coriander already looked to be regaining color again. Either that, or his imagination was running off on him. Bruce dragged a chair to the side of her bed before curling up, intending to stay for the whole hour. He laced his fingers together with the ones on her open right hand.

He wasn't sure when he dozed off, but woke up to something tickling his ear. Bruce reflexively rolled to tuck his offended ear into his shoulder before opening his eyes. Coriander looked at him, confused and somber. Banner leapt to life like he'd been stung with the annoying electric prong. "I knew it! I _knew _it!" Cheered Bruce as he started to kiss her, not even caring where his lips landed.

"Don't!" Cori turned her head, voice shaking. "I'm _disgusting_!" She would only think that by remembering what Kleiser did to her. Or remembering pieces, as she'd been unconscious when they arrived. Bruce couldn't imagine what the fear felt like, realizing that Coriander was left to wonder what Kleiser did.

"No, no you're not." Bruce shushed her lovingly like a baby as he began to unhook the machines. They wailed in protest, but he ignored them. "Kleiser's the disgusting one. You won't have to worry about him anymore. He's gone." Promised Bruce as she folded into his waiting arms while he rocked her like a child. Coriander wrapped her arms around Bruce's neck, crying softly with her face buried in his buzzing chest.

His humming was quite soothing.

Fury and the others stood in the doorway, alerted by the machine readings. Bruce just smiled at them all over Coriander's head. "She's alive, so suck it!" Tony shouted gleefully into Fury's watch. The hologram of three people turned to face Bruce as Fury put his back to them.

"She could still pose a threat to Earth." Said one. "She needs to be removed. Kleiser could've implanted his DNA, or inserted himself into her body. He could merely be waiting for the right time to attack."

"Removed?" Bruce repeated, flabbergasted.

"Yes." Replied another.

"Young Coriander does not need to be removed, and I shall prove it!" Thor stormed in with an older woman following him. She looked to be in her fifties, pale skin beginning to wrinkle around the eyes and mouth. Her brown hair was sprinkled with gray and done up in a loose braid. A long, faded green cloak swished around her portly form as she walked into the room. "This is Uma." Announced Thor proudly.

"You may call me Uma, as my true name is impossible for non-Asgardians to pronounce." She explained.

"Uma is our healer on Asgard. She's dealt with many types of alien attacks and has gained the ability to identify the alien's presence. Her power can solve whether or not Kleiser remains in Coriander."

Can't fight a god, mused Bruce. The Council was quiet. Uma shuffled towards Coriander, eyeing her with a soft smile as she put her hands out. Her hands moved outwards as she made her way down Coriander's form, looking like she was smoothing unruly paper. After a few moments, she pulled her glowing blue back. "This child is of no danger to you. She has Chitauri DNA, and it has been strengthened, but she is largely mortal." Uma told The Council.

"How do we know you haven't been bribed into your result?" Asked one figure. Uma bristled, looking angry like an elderly grandparent and bloated like a toad.

"I am Uma of Asgard! My wants are not for your human devices! Do you question my power? What authority have you on this process? Am I to understand that the three of you are also Asgardian healers capable of identifying alien-inflicted wounds?"

The Council quieted.

"Well?" Grinned Fury smugly. "She poses no danger. What else do you have to say on this?"

"You didn't listen to us last time." The third remarked dryly.

"We'll suggest a temporary suspension of service until she is well again." Said the second. "See to it that she receives adequate care."

"Will do." Fury cut the communication. "Ms. Henson, you're on leave for six months. Dr. Banner, I trust you can see to her care?"

"Of course." Bruce paused his rocking to pat her back.

"Let's get you home, then." Fury turned to exit the med bay.

"Smart move reaching out to your planet." Tony nudged Thor in the side. Thor smiled.

"I've come to understand that you Midgardians fear things that are strange to you, including the idea of people being aliens. Anticipating that, I sent for Uma. She's a healer, so her sorcery is strong and capable of fast travel."

"Nice, man. Well…now that everything's calm again, I have to call Pepper. And get a drink." Tony walked out of the room, grabbing his cell phone as he went.

"I think we all need a drink." Joked Clint as he went to hang up his bow.

"Let us feast to commemorate our victory!" Thor boomed happily, guiding Uma and Natasha out of the room.

"Hungry Dr. Banner?" Questioned Captain as he prepared to follow Thor.

"Are you, Cori?" He could eat if she was hungry.

"No. I just…hold me. I don't want to go anywhere right now."

"I'll hold you." Bruce kissed the top of her head. She was back. He wasn't going to let her go for anything. Everything had just been too close for him to tolerate. "I'll hold you." Bruce rocked her again, able to wrap his mind around the feeling of having her close to him, in his arms.

They were going home. Everything would be alright. The doctor had his patient back. Fury landed the helicarrier in Manhattan within the next two hours, giving Tony explicit instructions to enroll Coriander in a therapy program. Paperwork on her admission was to be filed within the next three days.

Bruce carried Coriander back to Stark tower, intending to put her into a comfortable sleep before conversing with his teammates. With Bruce beside her, Coriander found herself able to sleep. She fought sleep for roughly forty minutes before succumbing, totally sure that she was safe. Her nerves were still tingling with fear. Despite not wanting to, Bruce pulled away.

Her scent was intoxicating, as was her warmth. The bright green under her eye was assuring. He unwound himself and crept to the door, jumping when he pulled it open to see Pepper Potts. She was smiling softly, scrunching up her red-rimmed eyes as she gazed fondly at Coriander. "We're back together." Whispered Pepper hoarsely.

"We can all start healing." Added Tony, drawing up behind her to wrap her in a hug. Bruce smiled in agreement. Healing sounded nice. Healing was one of the few things he'd come to understand of the world after living with the Hulk for two decades. Healing was good.


	18. A Day to Celebrate

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **Wow! So close to 100! Thanks to La Bella Figura, Artistic Punk, xXSakura-Hime-SamaXx, SophiaStark, tbonegirl28, a Guest who didn't sign in, Jweb202, The Red Dove, and notabletosignin for reviewing! It means a lot!

To Artistic Punk: Unless I get a really freaking good muse, no. This story doesn't have any planned sequel because, honestly, it was just a shot in the dark xD.

To notabletosignin: Well, I'm sorry you feel that way. Thank you for reading up to this point, then. It may seem tragic or sickening that I include elements like that, but it's simply me inserting realism. At least you know your limits :D.

You can thank Drachegirl14 for this ending. The day she suggested a carnival chapter, I knew then and there that it was how I wanted to end the story. This chapter is short because it's the wrap-up/ending. Ring vows were pulled randomly from the internet.

**ALERTS BELOW! :**

1) Cap story coming within the next three days (it would've been earlier but I've had a few family emergencies and work issues pop up)! Look for _The Pursuit of Liberty_!

2) There will be a **bonus chapter **to this story. That bonus chapter will be the end of this story. Originally, I wasn't going to do it, but it wouldn't leave me alone! So now, I'm doing it.

3) This story jumps around a bit. Pay attention! (If you get lost: it goes from the "Avengers mini-party" to "the morning after", and then to three months later.

* * *

Seventeen: A Day to Celebrate

Healing was good, but slow. She had six months to fight psychological issues unless the therapist thought more time was needed. Bruce collaborated with the therapist to maintain an accurate record of her progress. Fury liked to see it, just to make sure Cori was recovering. Her aversion to anything white was strong in the beginning.

Coriander wouldn't even wear the color white.

Pepper freaked out when Cori shoved a plate of chicken Alfredo away. They knew something was wrong then. On top of her one-on-one therapy sessions, Pepper enrolled her in a sexual victims group. Though Coriander's memory was shoddy, ruined by drugs, she knew she'd been violated. That was enough to make her eligible for the group.

Bruce thought the other members helped Cori open up very well. While she had few details to supply, her emotions were strong. One of the best methods of healing was to find someone who related to the issue. Her day consisted of quietly waiting for either group to start. She was too jumpy for training, and experienced a brief panic attack when Tony came up behind her unannounced one day.

He intended to ask a quick, simple question while trying to avoid Pepper (because it was a surprise, and for the life of him he could never remember what she was allergic to!) but was rewarded with a punch in the nose. It hadn't broken – by some stroke of luck – but was swollen and bright red for a few days. Bruce stepped in after that incident and said they needed to reintroduce a regular routine slowly. Anything less could cause intense stress or unintentional panic attacks. From then on, Coriander's days were simpler.

Cori slept with Bruce to avoid nightmares, and found she felt better after doing so. Her first try at sleeping alone resulted in JARVIS activating the lockdown procedure and Pepper nearly having a heart attack because of all the screaming. Sleeping with others – mainly Bruce – reduced her fighting instincts because he woke her up quickly. She felt safe in his strong arms. She felt safe, period, after two months at home.

The idea of being home – being safe, in a place where she knew. In Tony's impenetrable fortress of sorts – slowly unwound the tight coil of fear in her. Once her participation with the therapist and sexual victims group reached two months, things started to fall into place. Natasha would slip miniature marshmallows into her trail mix, and Coriander would unknowingly eat them. Coriander felt a mix of betray, rage, and awe when Natasha nonchalantly mentioned the marshmallows. Part of her wanted to hate Natasha because white things were still unholy, but part of Coriander wanted to thank her, also.

Even if she detested the idea of the color white, the idea of edible white things, she knew exposure was what she needed. After the initial shock of eating something white without issue, Coriander tiptoed towards bigger things. By the middle of the third month she was eating Alfredo again. Towards the end of the third month she could stomach mayonnaise. At the beginning of the fourth month she quit refusing eggs.

Small things – like eating eggs for breakfast – eased her into a normal state. The pain from her rectum was completely gone. Coriander simply dealt with the emotional and psychological remains. Nibbling on eggs or a sandwich with mayonnaise dulled the instinctual stab of fear in her. It quelled the rush of garbled memories that welled up after a few seconds of 'fight or flight'.

"Arise, friends!" Thor strolled happily into the kitchen to throw away his Pop-Tart trash. Natasha flicked her eyes to him, unwilling to release the fork buried in a cut of chicken and spinach. Steve wiped his lips respectfully on a napkin as he took his hands off the sandwich. Bruce swallowed a bite of macaroni, absently nudging Coriander lovingly as she took the pause as an opportunity to steal some. Tony sipped coffee amusedly as he leaned against the counter with a packet of dried blueberries peeking from the pocket of his suit.

"What is it?" Bruce asked as he dabbed his lips with a napkin. Thor – more often than not – would call them together to see something, only to forget they were used to Earth's many 'enchanting' and 'wonderful' things. Last time this happened they ended up staring at a window washer as he continued to ascend Stark Tower and clean.

"Your multi-colored projection device speaks of a fair! Let us go to see these cakes of funnel and test our strength! I wish to know if these challenges can withstand the might of an Asgardian." Thor grinned widely, like a child, and flexed his arms a bit.

"It's a television, Thor." Reminded Natasha.

"But it tells us nothing! It shows!" He pointed out. Thor only learned what a projection device was from Steve when they had a conversation on the development of movies three days ago.

"If it didn't tell you anything, how do you know about the fair?" Clint popped the last of a burrito in his mouth as Thor quieted. He gave a slight wiggle of his brows as if to say _That's true! _before smiling again. Obviously, he wanted to go.

"Make haste to this fair on the Island of Coney!"

"Coney Island." Corrected Tony. He sipped his coffee for a few minutes, weighing the possibility of attending. Ninety percent of the time he didn't attend meetings. Hated them too much to do so. Usually JARVIS tapped into the building, recorded the conversation, and Tony would give a video reply.

"Everyone throw on civilian clothes. We're going to the fair!" Tony said as he put his cup in the sink and began to take off his suit. He plucked the blueberries out of the pocket before walking to his room.

"I haven't had cotton candy in _forever_!" Pepper followed quickly behind him, heels clacking across the floor.

"Do you feel like going to the fair?" Bruce looked to Cori, curling the end of a finger mindlessly around her short hair. She found the shorter style more convenient for the wings and had no motivation to grow it back. It still shocked him every time he eyed her. The girl with long, dark hair and an undeniable empathy to make up for her lack of commonsense was gone. A new woman emerged out of the harsh world to take her place, and it was a woman Bruce needed to get used to.

Post-Kleiser Cori was different – anyone would be different after that! – but she was still Cori. He still loved her.

"Sure." Cori relented. It was a soft reply, but she saw the good in an outing. If she could stomach white food, and spoke easier in the victims group…maybe she was ready. She could manage it if Bruce was there. Everyone could use a day of fun after defeating Kleiser.

Dressing in a graphic tee and a pair of jeans, Coriander rejoined Thor and the others at the door. Thor looked almost unrecognizable without his armor. The large man wore a dark blue tee big enough for her to use as a blanket, and a pair of jeans. Tony looked pretty normal, as she'd seen him once or twice in the same Black Sabbath shirt, and made Pepper's laid-back look seem even more polished by comparison. She wore a fitted white and gold sundress with a red hat and heels.

Natasha chose a white camisole shirt and a pair of jeans. Cori noted that her ensemble still looked especially snug for a lazy day. Could she not wear something loose and dumpy to make other women feel better? It seemed Natasha's figure just hugged whatever she wore, not just black leather jumpsuits. Steve wore a white shirt with grey pants.

Clint opted for a dark gray shirt with blue jeans to cover part of his combat boots. Bruce, like Pepper, looked refined for a lazy day. He quietly donned a soft green shirt with white trim to balance out his khaki pants and brown shoes. "To the fair!" Thor cried happily, nearly ripping the door off the hinges to get outside. Happy drove them to the fair in one of Stark's smaller cars.

They were already going to draw attention for being the Avengers. Arriving in a limo would make entering the fair nearly impossible. Stark liked to be seen – he reveled in the acknowledgement – but could use a quiet day. Tony paid for wristbands and entrance before they paired up and sped off. Pepper went with Tony, Natasha with Clint, Thor with Steve, and Bruce with Cori.

Bruce swallowed, surprised Coriander suspected nothing. The plan was going off without a hitch! In about thirty minutes they would meet up by the Hammer Pound game. After they tested their strength they would drift to the adjacent booth with the stacked milk bottles. There, Coriander would get her present.

He was beyond proud of her for the progress she showed. Cori was a woman after his own heart to pull through as she had. Bruce was beginning to think there was another Hulk on earth, as few could show strength that intense. Usually intense emotions only came from Hulk. One came from him: determination.

Bruce Banner wanted to marry Coriander Henson and would do so. The day she went missing, the day Pepper received the letter from HYDRA, Bruce told himself he'd marry her when they got her back. Marrying her, spending the rest of his unnatural life with her, was the only way to assure an emotional catastrophe like the one that had occurred internally that day. Trauma from that experience still riled him. It could've turned out so bad…so bad…just like his mother.

But it didn't. And she was back. Coriander had returned, and he could continue to hold her. She was the only thing that kept the other personalities working in tandem with his main self. While that was a wonderful and important quality, it played second to the fact that Bruce just loved her.

She gave him the love and attention he'd craved since childhood, and had somehow done it in a subtle way that his older self appreciated. Adult Bruce had been briefly startled, but even he was attached to her now. Without Coriander there was no semblance of normal. Or, at least, the 'normal' Bruce had come to know was nonexistent. Her absence caused an intense disruption, Bruce noticed.

It was one that could almost cripple him. Or so it felt. An emotion that strong meant love. True love, even. He knew then that he had to have her.

Anything less would make him feel like he was wasting away. This was the only way to fix that. A union like marriage would erase the bad memories for them both, Bruce hoped. They took a ride on the Ferris wheel after Bruce decided that trying Nerves of Steel would not be a fun experience for The Other Guy. From the top they could see a wind-up flight ride, the spinning tea cups, and a game structured to look like an alien spaceship.

Coriander snuggled up against Bruce as the Ferris wheel continued to rotate. A quiet moment alone was nice.

"We should get a snack." Suggested Cori as the Ferris wheel lowered them towards the exit. She had a growing craving for something fried. Maybe a corn dog. If she was feeling especially gluttonous, a funnel cake would do.

"Then we can climb the rock wall." Offered Bruce.

"Sounds like a plan." Cori laced her fingers together with his as they made their way to the food booths. Thor was spotted almost instantly, as he towered over everyone. As he turned, they saw his beard and lips were coated with funnel cake sugar.

"Friend Banner!" Thor clapped him on the back. "Try this cake of funnel! It's quite sweet." He pinched off a piece with his large, tough fingers and held it out to Bruce. The equivalent of an Asgardian 'handing' out food was a shove, and Bruce nearly choked and fell at the funnel cake being stuffed into his mouth. Cori giggled. "Young Coriander, would you like a piece of the funnel cake?"

"No thank you, Thor. I'm in the mood for a corndog." Coriander patted her stomach as she circumvented the god to wait in line. Bruce brushed sugar off his face and stood next to her. Tony and Pepper walked by when Coriander was four people from the cash register. She could spot Tony's large, open mouth anywhere. Said billionaire took a huge bite out of Pepper's cotton candy as they passed.

Bruce laughing at the wisps stuck in Tony's beard caught there attention. Pepper couldn't be happier, it looked. "What have you guys done?" She sucked her thumb lightly to catch an escaping piece of pink fluff.

"We rode the Ferris wheel. After a snack, Bruce is talking about climbing the rock wall." Coriander told her as she stole a piece of cotton candy for herself.

"I heard the line to the Hammer Pound finally died down. Want to see who can get closest to the top, Bruce-y?" Challenged Tony with a wiggle of his eyebrows. Bruce knew that was the sign. The surprise was ready. "You can take a swing at it if you can lift the hammer." Teased Tony.

"Better be careful, Tony," Warned Cori, "you don't have your suit!"

"I'll just buy a toy if I don't win." Tony stuck his tongue out childishly. She did have a point there. He was used to physical power within his suit. Social power was Tony Stark's area of expertise. It was likely Bruce would beat him at the hammer game.

They convened at the Hammer Pound game. Clint carried a goldfish in a bag, earning a few snickers. "I won the ring toss game. Let's see you do that! Besides…the little guy's kind of fun." He defended, holding the bag up to his eyes to watch the fish race around. It was the only fast goldfish he'd seen at the booth.

"He means that it was the only one alive." Natasha elbowed Clint in the side before gesturing to the waiting game operator and the hammer. After the usual inviting spiel, Thor stepped up. He picked up the hammer and it flew backwards, sailing overhead and startling several people. A medium-sized crater was left by the impact. Blushing, Thor went to retrieve the hammer for the stunned game manager.

"My apologies," The Asgardian returned the hammer, "that was incredibly light for a hammer. I'm used to handling something far heavier." Explained Thor as the man gave him a consolation prize. It was more or less a prize to make sure he didn't pick up the hammer and try again. Most people just wanted the prize, anyways. Thor didn't know what to think of the brightly colored bear with a sun in its stomach, but would give it to Jane. If she didn't like it, Darcy was sure to take it.

The man made this mistake of calling Bruce 'Glasses' in order to prep him for the hammer swing. Bruce smirked at the dumbfounded man as the bell echoed in the air. He looked reserved – and maybe a little nerdy – but now the man knew he had power in excess. Most of the toys were Avengers plush dolls, but Bruce managed to find a little green monkey with Velcro paws and accepted that. Taking a toy Hulk for himself, or likenesses of his housemates was simply too weird.

Tony went next, sending the weight two dots from the top. He pouted slightly. Before Steve had a chance to accept the hammer and swing, Tony ran back up to the platform and jumped on it. It was just for fun since he lost, but the genius also wanted to see how far his weight and momentum could send the piece. Two and a half dots.

Curiosity satisfied, he settled next to Pepper. Steve swung the hammer. Tony pouted as the bell clanged. Of _course_ the super soldier could do it. He could do it if he had his suit. Pepper elbowed her pouting boyfriend, giving him a nod to say something nice to Steve since he'd given her an Iron Man plush doll.

"I could've bought it." Mumbled Tony, earning him another elbow in the side. Steve just smiled. Clint had Natasha hold the fish – who he began to call Dart for his speediness – and tried his luck. The weight just barely touched the bell, ringing much softer than the time Steve and Bruce hit it. Hawkeye tossed Natasha a red Velcro monkey.

"What, is it because I'm a redhead?" She rolled her eyes. It was a child's toy. But soft. And maybe _slightly _cute with its beady eyes.

"Yep." Smiled Clint as Natasha quietly attached the monkey to his arm in exchange for holding Dart.

"I'm setting us up at the bottle toss." Tony informed them before strolling towards the booth operator. Bruce swallowed again, feeling his palms begin to moisten. This was it! He came back a minute later. "Bruce," Said Tony, "please help me explain the laws of gravity and angular momentum to this man so he doesn't think I'm cheating when I beat his game."

The man hadn't asked about Tony's valid strategy. Bruce just needed an excuse to finish the plans. Tony had actually called the fair in advance to see if they could organize something. Most weren't willing to risk handling a ring – much less a ring coming from an Avenger – but the bottle toss attendant was willing to give it a try. Bruce's hands began to quake as he dug the ring out of a little plastic baggy.

It was hard to believe he'd gone nearly two months without Coriander finding it. Of course, it'd been easy between her group meetings and professional analysis sessions. The band was made of white gold; it provided a stark contrast to the three emeralds sitting in the center of the band. Coriander's birth month was May, and Bruce thought the green represented Hulk well, so he replaced the traditional diamonds with emeralds. She was marrying two people, after all.

Hulk agreed to let Banner propose – he was the more eloquent one – because of the green in the ring. It was balanced. They tied the ring to a Hulk toy, marking which one by putting a piece of neon tape on the toe, and hung it back up without incident. People passed by constantly, running for games or to food, so the switch was easy to hide. Clint went first, knocking the bottles down on the first try.

When Natasha refused to bring home another toy, Clint requested that the next child receive a free gift when they came to play. Thor tried next. His first strike also knocked down the three milk bottles. The force of his throw chipped one bottle and left a ball-sized hole in the back of the booth. Until the attendant had time to patch it up, he stuffed the hole with a small toy.

Thor was given another toy for his trouble. Now he had one for Darcy _and _Jane! The Asgardian felt proud.

Tony got Pepper an Iron Man _himself _as he easily knocked down the bottles. Such a thing was simple when he calculated for the weight of the bottles and the circumference of the skinny neck and even tinier tops. The slightly crooked angle of the table helped, too. She snuggled with her second Iron Man before Bruce took his turn. Between the Hulk's power and the science whirling in his mind as he determined taking out the lower bottles would topple the top one, Bruce won Coriander a green Hulk doll.

The man pulled off the neon tape as he brought it down. Bruce smiled, holding it out to Cori. She moved to take it, but stopped when Bruce began to kneel. Why was he kneeling? It was a toy and…no.

No it wasn't a toy!

Cori felt her breath hitch as several words fought to spill out of her throat. 'Shit', 'oh god' and 'wow' tried to escape at once. She wasn't sure which one won. Coriander was too dumbfounded by the sight of Bruce grinning brightly and shamelessly, wiggling the ring-bearing hand of the Hulk toy. "He wanted to come out and surprise you, himself, but I told him that wasn't a good idea for a place like this." Bruce explained as Coriander finally found herself moving to take the doll.

For a few slow, sweet moments her fingers draped over Bruce's. They both had the Hulk toy by the waist. It was as magical as it could get for a noisy fair setting. "Cori, I knew I was getting into something when I met you. I just didn't know what…" Bruce began, "but now I know what I'm getting into. Or…what I want to get into. Will you marry me, Coriander Henson?"

"Yes! Now stand up before I knock you over!" Laughed Cori as she fought the urge to tackle him and hug him. Bruce was _beyond_ sweet. She blew out a shaky breath as the tears threatened to form, but ignored them as Bruce stood to meet her. Cori latched onto him like a baby koala bear, dropping multiple kisses on his clean-shaven cheeks and chin.

"Avenger mini-party!" Cheered Tony. Pepper hugged his arm tightly, excited by the news of her younger friend getting married. Bruce slipped the ring on her finger, picking off the last of the string.

"Let us feast to honor this glorious news!" Thor called happily, grabbing the nearest person – Natasha – to tote on his shoulder with glee. "Make haste to home where we may celebrate!" Said the Asgardian as he trotted happily towards the car. Natasha's requests for him to stop fell on deaf ears as she bounced along. They passed off extra wristbands and tickets to random fair-goers as they made their way back to the car.

Tony drove back to the tower just so he could be the first one out of the car and into the tower. Doing so gave him the ability to yell, "WE HAVE A MRS. BANNER!" to Happy Hogan, who waited interestedly to see what had become of the group. Happy smiled as the others finally caught up with Stark. He folded up the newspaper, vacating the chair in case someone wanted to sit.

"When are we going to have a Mrs. Stark?" Asked Happy as Pepper grinned widely at Tony. She batted her eyelashes. The billionaire deflated, air escaping out of his gaping mouth. Everyone chuckled.

"I cannot comment on that at this time." Tony replied, the vague reply nearly jumping out of his mouth. He'd been trained to handle the press and fight off invasive questions. Pepper took no offense to the standard answer, though. Stark wasn't wearing the same expression that he used for dodging questions and ignoring people. This look, instead, signaled thinking and too much going on in his brain at once.

"But," Tony jumped back to life, "since we have a Mrs. Banner, let's drink!" Pepper and Tony foresaw Coriander saying yes – as they each knew one of the two very closely – and had pre-ordered a celebration platter. The platter was mostly for Thor, but Pepper liked not having to cook anything and incur another massive grocery bill thanks to his appetite. Happy stayed behind to receive it all since Pepper paid for it online. Three trays of sandwiches, clearly labeled, sat on the center of the kitchen table. Each tray had four precisely stacked rings of sandwiches.

Outside of the trays sat a vegetable platter, meat platter, cheese platter, five different bags of chips, four kinds of dip, and three family-sized sodas. The sodas were there for the non-drinkers, of course. Tony's array of expensive, fine alcohol waited for anyone who wanted it. He poured himself a scotch, toasting Bruce as he did so. Bruce flushed and managed a small smile as he sidled up next to Coriander and fixed his plate.

Coriander grabbed a sandwich, a bit of meat, some cheese, and a handful of chips. Bruce settled with a sandwich and chips. By the time they finished their plates Tony broke out the alcohol. Captain couldn't physically get drunk, but Clint could, and took his place so Tony could have a fair beer pong competition. Facing a government-trained expert marksman meant Tony drinking a lot more than Clint.

Until Tony pulled out some of his own moves. Stark drank enough throughout his life to master a few tricks. Thor continued to work on the unwinding trail of sandwiches as Pepper and Natasha watched the two men drink. Captain made another plate as well, eager to sate his high metabolism. Bruce let himself have one or two celebratory drinks.

Coriander finally left the chips alone in favor of something to drink. She and Bruce cuddled on the couch, watching in amusement as Tony slurred angrily at Clint. Clint managed a garbled yell before slamming his shot glass down. The terms "Hawkeye" and "Iron Man" were being thrown around a lot, leaving them to believe they were having an argument about their alter egos. Tony and Clint stood, stumbling towards one another like they were about to fight, and then passed out.

Natasha and Pepper moved to separate them. And throw them in a safe room where they could sleep it off. Both were unhappy, but giggling about their drunkenness. Coriander decided her whiskey and soda had been nursed enough. She'd used it to work up her courage, and thought asking Bruce to be intimate was sensible enough since he'd proposed.

When she thought of drinks and Bruce Banner, she thought back to the library. The abandonment and panic. "What do you say we go celebrate?" Coriander asked as she leaned into Bruce. It was relatively quiet with Natasha and Pepper handling the two men. Captain was training, and Thor was sleeping.

"We are celebrating." Bruce pointed out. Coriander rolled her eyes. Did he not think like that anymore, or did he just miss it?

"No, Bruce. Let's go _celebrate_." Coriander slid into his lap, smoothing her hands up his stomach and towards his shoulders. Her fingers joined together at the back of his head once she finished combing through his hair. Bruce shivered. Yes, his brain screamed, put the drink down and go! The fact that she suggested it quashed his fears about apprehension from the Kleiser incident.

Bruce scooped her up without a word, moving to his bedroom. "You're sure?" He asked once she lay on his bed, looking up from beneath him. Coriander blew Bruce away as he eyed her. She was steady, luminescent, and had charming eyes. Even with her short hair, Cori looked like pre-Kleiser Cori.

"Yep." Bruce shuddered as her fingers ran through his hair and massaged the nape of his neck. "Let's christen these sheets as Mr. and Mrs. Banner."

She didn't need to ask twice.

* * *

Pepper peeked in on everyone out of habit. Having to clean up after Tony's parties before, she wanted to make sure no one was in an awkward situation. She smiled at the sight of Bruce wrapped around Cori. The young girl's back was to her, and her face was in Bruce's neck by the looks of it. Bruce Banner lay on the left side of the bed, his messy hair even messier than usual.

She gently closed the door.

"Cute, right?" Tony crept up behind her. Pepper jumped, stifling a squeal. Her boyfriend grinned, finding a hint of coordination to do so inside his monstrous hangover. His recent glass of water and medicine had run dry, and he'd gotten up to get another. "We're going to have to help them plan their wedding."

"What if they don't want help?" Pepper asked, burying her fingers in the spaces between his hands as he hugged her around the waist.

"Last night proves they'll breed like rabbits. Even more so when you consider Bruce-y hasn't been intimate since, hell…whenever he stopped."

"Good point." Mumbled Pepper. Tony chuckled, leading her away before Bruce could stumble to the door. They froze as it audibly swung open, looking like a pair of caught robbers. Bruce dared to smirk at them, leaning into the doorframe with a sheet wrapped around his hips.

"How did you-?" Pepper began.

"Tony never _was _quiet." Bruce grinned. That, and the Hulk had been alerted to their presence. Hulk was in a state of contentedness, running off a primal urge to defend his resting mate. "But yes, help with planning would be nice. The Other Guy isn't good with stress." Joked Bruce as he shut the door softly and returned to the bed. Tony and Pepper released a small breath.

Thankfully, Bruce wasn't a cranky post-sex person.

* * *

Bruce, Coriander, Pepper, and Tony began to talk about the wedding while Natasha took Steve, Clint, and Thor out for lunch. Bruce and Coriander were highly compatible people. They'd rather talk than fight, so agreeing on things was relatively easy. She wanted green for Hulk and her eyes, and Bruce wanted black to keep it classy.

Neither one cared to have a large, elaborate wedding. Bruce was too used to hiding, and Coriander came from a family that was hardly materialistic. Tony booked a local church for September fifteenth – the day they decided on – after Coriander and Bruce poured through online photos. They had three months to debate decorations, caterers, and guests. From that point on Bruce's life was on a schedule; if he wasn't with the Avengers stopping minute crime happenings in Manhattan, he met with various caterers vying for the recognition staffing an Avengers' wedding would bring.

A month and a half passed. They'd agreed on the colors, bowed to Tony's insistency on getting a planner to help out, and had visited five different cake stores. The planner roped their insistency for green and black together into a white, green, silver and black theme. A book of themes waited for them in Stark Tower, right next to the book of flowers and example patches of tablecloths. Before they went to bed at night (sharing the same room, which delighted Bruce) they would get through a few more pages of each book and make notes.

He and Coriander shared the stress equally. For that much he could be thankful. Coriander knew she wanted jade green for the dress, but simply had to find one (the one from the Sterns-Avengers party was too showy, she thought). She'd delayed dress shopping for two days after accidentally vomiting in a store. Bruce demanded she see a doctor, and Pepper took her since she had to run errands.

The returning news turned everything on its head. Coriander was pregnant. Pepper was, too. Bruce barely managed not to faint, and Tony dropped a perfectly good bottle of aged scotch on his kitchen floor. "Stress sex. If not that, then office sex." Flushed Pepper, unable to offer anything else for an explanation.

It made sense. Things were…hairy, to say the least. Sex was a good stress reliever, scientifically. Coriander was eight weeks along; Pepper was almost two and a half months. Tuxes were purchased, but dresses were put off for the moment.

Two pregnant women would only get bigger. Bruce could use the time to secure the finer details with Cori. They were hashing through the guest list by the second month, and had finalized a three layer yellow cake with green and white buttercream frosting. The white frosting roses tied into the white rose bouquets stationed on all of the tables. Like the Sterns-Avengers party, the table had nine padded chairs per table.

The tablecloths were a glossy emerald-colored silk with a silver-white lace under-layer. An undertone of silver made sense against the blackish-gray carpet of the church. Towards the end of the second month there was little left to secure. Dresses could be picked now that they knew how big they would be; Pepper had been showing for almost a month, but only looked about eleven pounds larger than normal. Coriander's dancer-fit frame caused her to show earlier than Pepper, but she wasn't at the 'protruding' phase yet, so dress shopping wouldn't be overly complicated.

Pepper was the maid-of-honor, and Tony was the best man. Clint and Natasha followed them, leading the way for Steve and Bruce's cousin, Jenny. Thor would walk with Coriander's elder sister, Brie. Honey bitched herself out of a partner or a place in the wedding; her coarseness and snobbish tastes rubbed the pregnant Pepper and Coriander raw.

Natasha vowed to hurt Honey if she was put in the wedding. The Black Widow was seen as a viable threat, but even without the warning they'd already agreed Honey would watch. Bruce thought Honey was the worst one to meet in the family. He felt especially successful and nearly invulnerable after surviving a talk with her. Coriander's family had been invited to Stark Tower because Bruce couldn't stomach the thought of meeting them the day of the wedding, spending all that time fearing and wondering if they'd like him.

Bruce and Tony met with the Henson family while Natasha, Brie, Jenny, Coriander, and Pepper hunted for dresses. The girls collectively decided that all of the dresses would be green, though lighter than Cori's since she searched for a dark jade shade. They decided to tie in the 'silver' color with hairpins or sashes as well as the tiny bouquets wrapped in white and silver. Coriander found her dress with just three weeks to spare before her own wedding. It was a deep emerald and light, grassy green. The dress was floor-length and made of silk, lace, and chiffon.

The torso of the dress was emerald, looked like a beaded silk corset complete with lace details, and bore thin straps for support. A line of chunky emerald sequins fashioned in a _Y _pattern convened and dropped down into the light grassy green just over the bellybutton area. Sequins were the perfect touch to introduce the lighter color as it fell in a rumpled and ruffled fashion over a majority of the remaining emerald silk. Micro-heel shoes were used to keep her from tripping on the length; intense heels were impossible because of her gradually swelling ankles.

Pepper sent Tony a picture. The girls were extremely excited about the dress. It hid Corianders growing belly well, and only had to be taken out a few inches. Pepper paid for it, saying that it was hers and Tony's gift to the engaged couple. Coriander didn't like things being handed to her, but she and Pepper were pregnant and their tempers could change with a single hormone rush. Arguing was being circumvented for the sake of the bridesmaids.

Tying the bridesmaid dresses back into Cori's dress, they opted to match the light green color. Their options were wide and endless, as they didn't want anything overly complicated. Something simple and light green would do well enough. Within days the bridesmaids settled on a light green halter dress with two small flower accents near the center of the chest. Everything was officially taken care of at that point.

Bruce and Coriander had just under two weeks to writer personal vows. Apparently while they dress shopped and made the final decision on said dresses, Bruce, Tony, and Cori's mother made the menu. They were the three who knew Cori's tastes best, after all. While it was nice to have everything else off her shoulders, Coriander still felt pressed and stressed about the vows. After ten days of rejecting everything she wrote – because it was either too sappy or too unintentionally steamy for the more reserved people of her family – she had something to admire.

It wasn't much, but it would do. The length wouldn't matter if it came from her heart, which it did. She tucked the final draft in her nightstand drawer that evening before crawling into bed with Bruce. He mindlessly wrapped an arm around her swelling stomach. Cori flushed, admiring the closeness and warmth of her soon-to-be husband.

Life couldn't be better for her. She hoped it would be this good for the blooming life in her stomach. Coriander thought it would be a boy, but wouldn't be able to tell until later. They hadn't even discussed names yet! Many nights she stayed up worrying about the wedding and, before drifting off to sleep, would think of the baby. In her gut she knew it would be a boy; night after night a name hovered out of her reach.

It remained a wordless hum, drifting patiently in wait for definition.

Four days past, and before Cori knew it she was looking into the face of her own wedding. Mimi and Sandra breezed into hers and Bruce's bedroom to wake her. They nearly flew to the reserved room Tony had under lock and key for all of the women's purchased wedding necessities. In the center of the room was her dress, hanging delicately on a mannequin she could only assume once belong to one of Pepper's dresses. Hemming her dress were the bridesmaid dresses.

Sandra helped Coriander into her dress as Mimi began to work on the bridesmaids' hair. Everyone was wearing something silver. Brie and Natasha opted for a sash, but Jennifer and Pepper went with a rose hairpin. It was about seven in the morning, and the sight of Natasha in fat curlers had Coriander giggly. Natasha rolled her eyes, strolling fearlessly to the kitchen to retrieve a small breakfast platter.

Coriander was always ravenous, even more so since the baby. They all needed food before the hour of rehearsal. Pepper purred when Natasha returned, saliva welling up in her mouth at the thought of jam and toast. Mimi allowed them all to eat a small plate before applying exfoliating masks that would prep them for makeup.

Natasha's curlers were pulled out, making her usual curls even tighter than usual. She and Jenny had short hair; Mimi was trying to balance out the styles. Jenny and Natasha would have tight curls whereas Pepper and Coriander would have loose wave blowouts. After removing the masks Mimi laid out her palette of colors. Playing off the green and silver, Mimi chose nude and earthy tones with minute – almost hidden – metallic accents.

Because Coriander's eyes were green, Mimi chose earthy tones. The same went for Natasha. Pepper's blue eyes received gentle metallic colors like Jenny's. Applying the makeup didn't take long at all, given Mimi's expertise, but once or twice she caved to her perfectionism and redid something entirely. Finishing the last set of lips – Coriander's – Mimi officially dismissed them as 'wedding perfect'.

Happy drove them in secrecy to the church. Bruce and his best men were confined to the opposite wing of the house for the time being. Waiting for them at the church was the photographer Bruce and Tony picked, a portly woman named Rhonda. She took pictures during their hour-long rehearsal, catching many shots of them coming from the upper level of the church and walking single-file towards the alter. There were a few silly pictures and cute pregnancy ones that helped pass the time when Coriander refused to do any more rehearsing.

The group was rushed upstairs at nine. Coriander breathed to steady her nerves as Brie picked gently at the green veil that matched her dress. Her wedding would happen in a _half-hour_! She was giddy, dizzy, and nervous. Rhonda snapped away, killing time until the bride walked down the aisle with her father.

They lined up minutes before starting the ceremony, Pepper leading the way to the alter. Brie and Coriander were the same height, so a peek at Bruce and the priest was impossible. Her father took her arm, touching it gently to break the hypnotic spell of the emerald strip brightening the floor. Cori's veil tinted everything green, but couldn't dampen Bruce's bright smile. She kissed her father on the cheek as he returned to sit near her mother.

Cori's heart hammered as she stood near Bruce. Her bouquet had been passed off to Pepper, something she regretted because Cori was in desperate need of something to clutch. She was so nervous! Her brain whirled at full speed to keep up with the priest, and halted with shock when he prompted her to mimic him.

Somehow, she found the strength to comply. Her throat felt dry. She was sure her tongue was twice its usual size. The hint of sweat at Bruce's temples was a great comfort; Cori could tell by the way he swallowed that he was nervous, too. "You may now present the rings," The priest said.

Tony and Pepper stepped up, handing off the rings. Coriander blushed as Bruce slid the ring on her finger. It was a beautiful ring, and it made her feel bad that Bruce's was so plain. Then again, he was a guy. Men didn't traditionally receive extravagant wedding bands.

"At this time, the bride and groom will exchange original ring vows." Announced the priest.

"Coriander," Bruce started with a swallow. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love."

She squeezed his hands affectionately, feeling the tips and pads rub her own.

"Bruce, I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

"With the exchange of rings, before your friends and family, by the power vested in me, I pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bruce Banner." Stated the priest. "You may now kiss the bride."

Bruce pulled back Coriander's veil, awestruck by the deep green of her eyes against the brown liner and nude-bronze eye shadow. She was beautiful, from lash to green line. He dipped his head slightly, giving her a polite kiss on the lips. If they had a more private wedding, he would do more. Passions could wait until the nighttime when they were alone.

Cheers exploded. People threw rice as Coriander took the bouquet from Pepper and prepared to toss it. Clint jumped on the vacated pew and back-flipped, sailing over the foray with expertise while grabbing the bouquet. He landed near Coriander and Bruce, grinning proudly as he brushed off a few dangling, rumpled petals. Natasha flushed a deep red – a shock for all – as Clint presented the bouquet to her.

Of course, the women screeched in protest that he'd caught the bouquet. It was for _women_! Women eager for the bouquet was unavoidable at any wedding, but murder was. Thor barely extracted Clint from the tangle of limbs and dresses before the archer lost his life. Pepper wasn't violent, but managed to pull away with a majority of the bouquet.

She sauntered victoriously up to Tony Stark, ticking his nose with a rose. "Cake!" Clapped Honey's only child, Jace, from the front row. The green and white cake looked exquisite and tempting with large frosting roses.

"Let's cut the cake." Laughed Cori, taking Bruce by the hand to the three-tier cake. She paused, admiring the icing detail. A standard bride and groom topper crowned the cake, joined by a plastic Hulk action figure.

"Compliments of Stark Solutions!" Called Tony as Coriander carefully cut around the action figure. Bruce's hand was warm and gentle over her own, guiding the knife through the cake. Picture taking exploded like fireworks, from Rhonda and family members. Once the storm calmed down ten minutes later, Cori removed the Hulk cake topper. She gave it to Jace to quiet him as cake was sectioned.

The few kids that attended were fed first. Adults came after, starting with the wedding party. "Don't you dare shove cake at my face!" Warned Cori as she saw Bruce pick a crumbling piece of yellow cake from the square.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He smiled. "Mimi would probably kill me."

"She might." Grinned Cori, tracing his lower lip with a piece of cake. Banner swallowed her fingers lightly, enjoying the cake and her softness. The two cleaned up before having their dance. Cori and Bruce danced to Frank Sinatra's version of "It Had to Be You". Mr. Henson and Cori danced to Frank Sinatra's "Under My Skin".

After the bride finished her second dance, she mingled with the guests. Bruce was tucked comfortably into her side, the two attached at the hands. Once the talking finished at eleven, they moved to the upper floor where a small cluster of tables waited. Since the church was only booked until noon, they used the last hour to have a relaxed meal.

Around noon when their reservation expired, the Henson family and few Banner attendees dispersed into the city. Bruce was content and drained. The ride back to Stark Tower never seemed so inviting. Coriander changed out of her dress within the first ten minutes of being in Stark Tower, and found Bruce sprawled on their bed when she entered the room. Banner was bare, save for a pair of pants.

"Someone's been waiting to see you all day." Said Banner, rolling to his side with a smile. Coriander's eyebrow rose reflexively. She was tempted to remind him that she was already pregnant, but said nothing as his skin began to turn green. Hulk's large frame broke the bed instantly, but he didn't seem to mind. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, releasing a soft mewl as she climbed into his large hand.

"Cori Mrs. Banner now." Chuckled Hulk quietly as he laid her in the usual spot beside his ear.

"Yep, and Cori couldn't be happier!" She scratched fondly at the patch of hair near his ear. Hulk mewled.

"Cori Mrs. Hulk, too."

"Cori's going to take care of Hulk _and _Bruce." Cori kissed the green flesh beneath her body.

"Hulk take care of Bruce, Cori, and Baby Banner." Hulk stroked a finger along her back. Like Bruce, he didn't think a baby would ever be conceived. Now that it was…well, it needed to be kept safe like Little Bruce. The Other Guy knew Banner was against calling the growing baby – who Cori insisted was a boy – Little Bruce because of his other personality.

The unborn child was then dubbed Baby Banner. And Hulk would protect Baby Banner because it was his just as much as it was Bruce's.

"That makes Cori happy." Coriander snuggled up to Hulk, laying on her side. His low, rumbling speech was a good lullaby for sleep.

"Cori make Hulk happy." Whispered Hulk before she drifted off to sleep. Hulk was very happy, indeed. For the first time in a long time, not unlike Banner. The need to run was irrelevant, he had friends, a place to stay, and now, a family. Life couldn't be happier for The Other Guy. Or the doctor and his patient.


	19. Babies, Babies Everywhere

Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

* * *

**AN: **So excited! I am past 100! This is quite a joyous occasion! Thanks to Leto Lelantos, Misslucky1818, ManzanaSilla, Dark Moons and Whispered Words, Midnight Chamber, Drachegirl14, Artistic Punk, SophiaStark, darkoraclegirl, Sherbet Sorbet, and The Red Dove for reviewing. Hopefully you'll like the Captain story as much as this one. Cap's story is planned out, for the most part. It will be out tomorrow, without fail (because I don't have to babysit! Yay!)!

* * *

Epilogue: Babies, Babies Everywhere!

"ARGHH! BRUCE! Open the door, Bruce! I don't want to deliver in an elevator. I _won't _deliver in an elevator!" Chanted Coriander as she tried to breathe like they taught her in the Lamaze classes. She was caught in the middle of a panic attack because her contractions were increasing and the elevator shut down unexplainably. Her body felt like a furnace; Coriander was sticky with sweat. Bruce was panicking, too, because Emery was coming and the elevator wasn't working!

Tony and the others ran expectantly to her reserved room, waiting on them to arrive. He was sure no one knew they were stuck in the elevator. On top of that, Coriander was having the baby! Amidst the fatherly panic and the 'worried husband' instincts was the Hulk. Hulk knew Coriander was in pain, and Bruce was almost too shocked to stop him.

A shred of Bruce Banner was able to stop the Hulk, making him realize that a well-meaning appearance could send the metal box hurtling to the bottom of the shaft. That would undoubtedly hurt them all. Hulk far exceeded the maximum weight capacity. The little elevator seemed to shrink and heat as time passed. "Bruce!" Whined Cori, feeling blindly for his hand as she tilted her head back against the hospital-loaned wheelchair and breathed as her body prepared for birth.

"I'm here. Just breathe. Breathe." Bruce instructed, squeezing her hand. A hiss escaped him as she dug her nails deeply into the skin of his wrist. Sweat beaded on his face as she gave a low moan and moved her legs farther apart. He practiced the breaths with her, dredging up memories of Lamaze class as he did so.

The breaths only slightly calmed his raging heart. His watch cried quickly and shrilly, warning him of the deadly turn this situation could take. _"Bruce_?" He could hear Tony, and gasped raggedly like he'd returned from a deep dive, _"What's going on, buddy? You're heart rate's off the charts!"_

That's right, thought Bruce, Tony modified my watch after we beat Kleiser. It displayed his heart rate, the time, the date, and allowed him to connect with Tony Stark via JARVIS.

"We're stuck in the elevator! It stopped on the fourth floor, it just won't _open_!" Growled Bruce, kicking the closed doors in anger. How could they not have a warning for shit like this? Wasn't it some kind of negligence to keep going-into-labor women in hot conditions? They'd arrived on the floor, but the door wouldn't open. That made Bruce the maddest.

Hulk hummed heavily in the back of his mind. The Other Guy got louder with his anger. Bruce could _feel _the rumble. Vibrations exploded throughout his body like he was next to a giant speaker at maximum volume. His skin quaked, bulging and rippling as it began to green with his veins.

He bowed his head, breathing deeply. Emery's first experience in the world would not be his father Hulking out and plunging his birthplace to the ground. Hulk's rage – his rage – softened at the thought of the little boy. Bruce knew the edge was taken off because they cared about him. It filled him with a serenity and hope only parentage could bring.

Bruce swallowed dryly, sliding down against the wall. Coriander continued to moan, releasing a sound that was part pain and part 'I want my epidural!', which they couldn't have because of their entrapment. He looped his feet around one stirrup of the wheelchair and pulled her towards him. She needed to know he was here in her time of need and agony. Thoughts of his coming son gradually appeased his racing heart.

They'd decided on the name 'Emery Gray' because of her family tradition. Her mother's side had food- and flower-based names. His father-in-law's family went with color-based names. It kept the growing kin unique while upholding the tradition. 'Emery' was more for his own amusement, his nod to science.

Coriander wanted to name him Robert Bruce Banner II, after him, but Bruce didn't want that. If he ever had to go into hiding – away from General Thunderbolt or anyone else – he didn't want to risk a case of mistaken identity. There was no way in hell he was being named after his grandfather, and Emery was a boy, so naming him after his mother wasn't possible. With that in mind, Bruce turned to science. Science had been there for him when no one else had.

'Emery' was a variety of corundum, but Bruce liked it because of its similarity to the word 'emerald'. Emerald had been one of the colors in their wedding. 'Gray' came as a nod to his father-in-law's family naming habit. Coriander let out a guttural and ungodly screaming, sending Bruce's heart cantering again. Loud banging on the metal doors also had his heart hammering.

"Friend Banner!" He could hear Thor, "stand away from the doors! I shall try and pull them open!"

"I don't think you can," Managed to pant Bruce. The line between the doors was too thin, he thought. Thor would hardly be able to get a fingernail in there. He couldn't punch the doors in because they were on the other side. It was clear Coriander needed to get out, though.

She was drenched in sweat, and Bruce wasn't far behind her. His green veins were prominent in his hands, even more so now that he'd clenched his hands into fists. "Stand back," Bruce breathed a short, cool sigh and opened his palms against the metal doors. His hands were slick and twitching. Hulk would help them get out.

"The Other Guy's going to help," explained Bruce, "when you can, peel the doors back."

"I shall!"

The first few strikes didn't register in his mind. Not the impact, anyways. He could hear the door groaning and trying to deflect his strength. It gave off a metallic _clang_! that mingled with Coriander's moaning. Bruce harnessed every speck of strength and focus he had to warp the doors.

Cool air rushed in as Thor wedged his fingers into the small gap separating the heavily dented door from the normal one. He peeled it back like a curtain and Bruce grabbed Coriander's wheelchair to move her out first. Cori's flushed face calmed slightly as Bruce huffed assurances and raced down the hall to 412. Tearing into the room, Bruce saw Tony and Pepper before everyone else came into focus. Lily and Sal Henson sat in two chairs off to the right, Tony and Pepper waited supportively by the bed, Brie was outside the room with Clint, Steve, and her three children.

Honey was oddly absent. Two nurses rushed forward, jabbering to one another as they delicately lifted Coriander from the chair to the bed. "She's just finished dilating." Informed one nurse as the other began to moisten towels and dab at her forehead and cheeks. Bruce stood dutifully to her left as Lily took over for the nurse dabbing quickly at her reddening face. Emery continued to push through her body, early and eager like his father.

Coriander's legs began to shake uncontrollably. Bruce knew from reading those baby books and parenting books that she was entering the second stage of the birthing process. Her body was preparing for Emery to crown and emerge. That meant she'd be screaming longer and louder now, as the contractions would be right on top of one another. His nerves couldn't take that.

She yelped, sucking in a breath in effort to stay quiet. It just wasn't happening, but out of the corner of her tear-blurred vision she could see Sorrel and Julienne trying to sleep in the chaos. Pepper and Tony's newborn babies slept easily, as they were just over two weeks old and needed the rest, but were beginning to shift with all the noise. Her mind locked on the pink and blue blankets identifying them as fraternal twins, but Coriander couldn't focus.

The pain was too much. She swore that last contraction had two stabs of pain instead of one. "Fuck," she breathed, puffing out a breath she didn't know she held in, "why does it hurt _twice_ in one contra—ah, ow! Ugh! AHHH!" Coriander threw her head back as pain continued to flutter quick and deep, the stabs running long and strong throughout her body.

"You're peaking," Explained the nurse, "it happens as the contractions get faster because you're pushing the baby through your body."

Lily wrung out another rag over her daughter's forehead, peeking interestedly to see if she'd crowned yet. The nurse politely shooed her away, encouraging her to maintain the Lamaze breathing instead. Coriander was neglecting her appropriate breathing because of all the pain. Another deep stab of pain rocked her body and Cori moaned. Bruce growled as Coriander squeezed his hand hard enough to fracture his fingers.

His control was shot to hell. There was too much going on to focus. Hulk could take the pain better than he could, anyways. Lily froze, cloth dangling over her daughter's forehead as the green thing sat down concernedly at Cori's bedside and offered one thick finger to her. She'd heard of Bruce Banner and his Avenger status from the wedding, and had learned more about him the past seven months through visits to Stark Tower, but had never seen this side of him.

"Lily!" Sal rushed forward to catch his fainted wife. Hulk blinked, trying to take in everything at once. Pepper rocked Sorrel in her pink blanket while she and Tony spoke encouraging things to his screaming wife in the hospital bed. Mr. Henson caught Cori's mother, and Thor stood in the entryway talking about Asgard and what the women of his home world did when one of their own was pregnant. The blonde god was thrown from the room by a mighty punch.

There was enough noise, Hulk decided. He didn't need to contribute. "Sorry." Hulk leaned up and over slightly to see Mrs. Henson sloppily inserted into a chair at the wall.

"It…uh, it's okay. She just…Cori's having a baby. It's a bit much to take in." Said Mr. Henson. Hulk nodded in agreement. His head was still spinning from the idea that Cori was pregnant at all. But…she was. He remembered staying up on the still-broken bed and stroking her swollen stomach, marveling that something small and part-Banner, part-Hulk, part-Cori was in there.

Her swollen stomach would be gone after today, as her body would start readjusting from childbirth, but other signs would remain. Outside Stark Tower, in a quadrant just freshly painted and set, was a set of Hulk-sized footprints courtesy of the day he learned the baby was a boy. A library's worth of parenting and baby books was spread throughout Stark Tower; some were in the living room, a select few were in Tony and Pepper's room, but were in Bruce and Cori's room. Hulk wished they had a 'How to Deal with your Pregnant Wife' book because that would be useful right now. Coriander was in pain he could do nothing about, and had all but climbed up his finger in order to hold him.

He continued to blow gently in her face to keep her cool. "She's crowning!" Announced a nurse excitedly. Hulk leaned over to see what she was talking about. "No…" The nurse gently, cautiously pushed him away. She received a hair-ruffling snort in response.

"It means Baby Banner is coming." Tony told him.

"Baby Banner…" Hulk stroked a finger over Cori's damp locks, hoping the news would restore her energy. As it was, she looked worse for wear.

"Yeah." Cori petted his large finger, enjoying the cool blasts of air conjured by his voice. "We're going to see Emery now. Emery's coming to see his daddies."

"Em…ery." Hulk liked the name. It was short like Cori's. His voice was low, a cool purr wafting over Cori's face.

"Yeah, Emery's coming." Cori kissed Hulk's large finger, happy to have it there. Hulk gave a soft mewl in reply as Coriander continued to rotate between talking to calm him, and pushing to deliver the baby. Forty minutes later – with plenty of crying, screaming, directions being hollered, and finger-holding – Emery Gray Banner was delivered. He was perfectly pink, crying, and a healthy weight. Emery sobbed shrilly as the nurses took him away for cleaning and testing.

Hulk panicked slightly. Why were they taking his child? He approached the nurse responsible hesitantly, aware that she held his newborn son in her arms. He issued a warning growl, letting her see his large, white teeth. "They have to do this." Cori assured him. "It'll be okay. They'll bring him back."

If she trusted them, then maybe he should. Hulk gave the nurse another warning snort before carefully lumbering back to Cori's hospital bed. The room was small without the people inside, and with them it was painfully tiny. He would wait with his wife until they brought Emery back. "He's so cute!" Gushed Pepper, who had gotten a view of Emery being born while Coriander tensed and then slumped back, drained, against the bed, "I saw a _head_ of dark hair!"

"Yeah, well, I had a lot of heartburn." Mumbled Cori tiredly.

"I did too, and you see the result!" Giggled Pepper as she cuddled Sorrel and kissed her head carefully. Pepper and Tony's twins were born with hair so blonde and fine that it was nearly invisible against their skin. The Avengers wouldn't know whose hair the children inherited until they got older. As if Sorrel Antonia and Julienne Antoine knew they were being talked about, they began to whine. "Feeding time." Mused Pepper, looking forward to the bonding that would occur beneath the large blanket Tony fished and unfolded from a chic diaper bag.

Tony Stark would not be seen sporting some flowery disaster meant for a grandmother. Instead, he took the polished route. Said diaper bag was plain black with images of Iron Man and the Stark Solution emblem attached to it. Small _A_'s were on either end, representing the rest of the Avengers. Coriander made salt and pepper bottles out of felt, glue, and a variety of cloth; each strap had a fake shaker on it.

Twenty minutes later, the nurse brought Emery back. Tony and Natasha made sure that it was Emery being returned. Though rare, there had been cases of accidental swapping in hospitals. When they were sure it was Emery – Hulk confirmed it because the baby smelled like Cori – the nurse was allowed to give him back to Cori. She didn't think she'd have any tears left to cry after going through a natural birth when she was supposed to have an epidural, but Coriander found herself crying all over again at the sight of a little baby wrapped in a blue blanket.

He whimpered and wiggled at the feeling of being passed off, his little baby instincts and tiny body reaction to a myriad of sensations simultaneously. Coriander cooed and shushed him gently, listening to him wail in distress as the feel of her arms around him registered. Emery Gray Banner weighed seven pounds and nine ounces, and was an unusual twenty-two inches long. Newborn boys were typically twenty inches long, but Coriander justified his length with one look at the Hulk, who towered well over everyone. "Look," She gazed tiredly, lovingly, up to the Hulk, "it's Baby Banner."

"Baby…" Whispered Hulk, afraid to startle the tiny thing. Emery turned, hearing the rumble. Bruce and Hulk divided their time equally at Cori's stomach throughout his growth so he'd realize both of their voices. He peeled open tiny eyes, revealing electric emerald green orbs. A small gasp sounded in the room. Babies usually had blue eyes at birth.

"That was a first for us, too." Said the nurse, taking a second to look at the parents now that the pandemonium died down. Both had green eyes, so having a child with green eyes was possible. However, having an infant show them at birth was not. "Looks more like the father's." She said, as if they waited on your opinion.

"Hear that?" Cori smiled at Hulk, "He's got your eyes."

"Hulk's…eyes…" Murmured Hulk, a bit stupefied. The baby was…beautiful. Hulk felt like he was staring at a puzzle as he gazed at the boy. Both parents had come together to make the features of the child. He could identify the beginnings of Bruce's curls, though they were in Coriander's color, despite the wispy state of Emery's hair.

He was relatively sure the baby would have Bruce's nose and Cori's lips. Emery was snuggled contentedly against Coriander's chest, tucked in a warm and soft embrace. A few silent minutes passed as people stared interestedly at the new addition. Though they knew Hulk was no threat, no one approached the bed out of respect for Cori. Hulk dipped his head lower, looking cautiously and lovingly at the tiny bundle in his wife's arms.

They were both so tiny and tired. Hulk drew back slightly when Cori jumped to alertness. He'd been edging his finger over cautiously to see if Emery felt as soft as his mother. Cori simply smiled, unwrapping her left arm to take the tip of Hulk's finger and gently touch the cheek of their child. The baby's reflexes were roused, and he rolled towards the new, warm thing.

Cori chuckled exhaustedly. Hulk wasn't sure what to do. Was Emery trying to get away from Cori? He shouldn't want to…that was his mother! "You're warmer than me." She laughed. "He wants you."

"Hulk no take. Wait until Baby Banner gets bigger. Hulk not want hurt."

"You won't hurt him." Cori assured. He'd never hurt her, not after getting past the case of mistaken identity.

"Hulk wait. Banner want see. Let Banner see."

"You know better than to run off before kissing me." She teased, causing Hulk's mouth to twitch in a breathy grin before he nuzzled the side of her face and kissed the top of her head. Within minutes Bruce clutched the rail of her hospital bed. He gifted her the same breathy grin before hauling his tired body up onto the bed. The nurse could go fuck herself; he was tired!

"How soon can we bring him home?" Asked Bruce, finally pulling his eyes away from the pink face snuggled into his wife's chest. It was a face surrounded by wisps of dark, inky hair.

"A day." Replied the nurse. "We were going to keep him longer when he turned green during the testing, but I told them he inherited that." She showed them the chart with his Apgar ratings and related information. Cori and Bruce shared a long look. Bruce's eyes seem to convey regret that Emery had inherited his condition, but Coriander's eyes wore down the intensity of his despair with loving kindness, with understanding. Whatever offspring they had, it had a slim chance of being normal.

Bruce wasn't the only one to blame.

"He's not green now. What happened?"

"Well, we think he didn't like the room change. He cried for several minutes, and instead of getting the red flush crying children do, he turned green. His skin returned to normal once we wrapped him in a blanket."

"He'll have stress triggers." Predicted Bruce, unable to frown completely because his newborn son was finally out of the womb. He was perfectly quiet and unaware of his genetic curse.

"Then we'll just give him lots of love to balance it out. Hugs release endorphins, you know." Coriander wanted to sleep so badly – _so _badly – but couldn't bring herself to do so. The sight of Emery was enchanting. He was cuddly, perfectly imperfect, and pink.

"I know." Bruce smiled, gently inserting himself at Cori's left to get a better look at his son. Emery's eyes were closed, but he remembered their undeniable green from Hulk's mind. Science and genetics was fascinating. His son was a work of art like no other, born to two Avenger parents. He briefly wondered if Coriander's gift could be inherited, too.

"I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes." Promised the nurse, able to tell she wasn't needed. Emery's father was a doctor, after all.

Sal finally got Lily to wake up by administering the remaining wet rags to her face. The Avengers were taking turns approaching the baby now that Bruce was among them. 412 reeked of hand sanitizer and soap because Bruce made everyone wash their hands thoroughly before holding his child. He'd spent too much time in India to not remember what diseased children looked like. That wouldn't happen to his child, he vowed.

Thor gave the nurse quiet a scare when she returned, his upper torso totally bare for the newborn child. Emery didn't like the feel of armor against his skin and had cried angrily until Thor removed it all. Bruce and Coriander got a glimpse of pale green skin before Thor hugged the infant to his bare chest and soothed him with warmth. Normally only immediate family was allowed in the room, but Tony used his 'I'm Tony fucking Stark' card to bypass that. Lily and Honey took pictures avidly as the Avengers took turns policing her children, who weren't allowed inside since they didn't meet the age requirement.

"E-Emery will be able to go home a day from now. Eight in the morning." Stuttered the nurse, shocked and red at the sight of massive Thor holding a fragile, tiny infant half-naked.

"We'll stay until then." Bruce informed her, hardly asking. They'd already seen The Other Guy. He doubted they wanted to make him angry.

"I'll see what I can arrange." She backed out of the room.

Pepper handed Sorrel off to Tony as she fixed her shirt beneath the blanket. The twins were done eating – though her breasts still hurt like hell – and she thought it was time to go. Cori and Bruce needed time alone with Emery. Cori, herself, needed time to relax and eat. Having a baby was hell on the body, Pepper knew.

She felt on the brink of death as she pushed out Sorrel, who was born three minutes after Julienne. Pepper barely remembered holding her children, or talking with the others, because she slept so hard. Coriander and Bruce watched their friends depart, accepting the congratulations, hugs, and handshakes with smiles. With them left all the energy, and the parents collapsed wearily in a happy heap. "Honey, did you bring me something?"

"I did." Bruce leaned over to find and open the hidden container of food. Coriander refused to eat hospital food, and Bruce didn't blame her. He'd seen and smelled the stuff they gave Pepper. It wasn't qualified to nourish women who'd just given birth, or so he thought. She purred at the sight of creamy chicken Alfredo and pouted, looking to Bruce for feeding.

Emery was too sweet to let go of…even for pasta. Bruce motioned for his son. Cori had been through enough today. She could eat and he would hold the baby. Her body needed food and rest.

Pouting, Cori reluctantly handed over Emery in exchange for the food. Bruce gave his wife a small smile as she dove into the pasta. Occasionally, he leaned over for a bite. Emery flinched a bit at the leaning motion, and released small whimpering noises before his tiny fingers blindly found the fabric of Bruce's shirt and stayed there. "Thank you, honey. Love you."

"Love you too, Cori." Bruce kissed her temple, settling back into his original position at her side as Emery released another whine. He shushed his son by rocking him gently. "Love you too, Emery." He kissed the newborn's head carefully.

* * *

"And that's how mommy and daddy got together to have you!" Coriander smiled down at her three-week-old, blanket-wrapped son, swaying from side to side outside the helicarrier's laboratory where Bruce and Tony upgraded some of the technology. Fury called to ask for their assistance, but Cori knew it was more than that when he requested that Pepper, the twins, and Emery come along. In actuality, Fury wanted to catalogue their DNA for protective SHIELD purposes. What 'protective SHIELD purposes' encompassed, she didn't know. If it meant another layer of safety for Emery, however, she would do it. Bruce was always worried that Betty's father would come back with a vengeance.

She'd started walking around the helicarrier to explore it and to calm Emery. He hadn't liked them taking a saliva swab and getting a dot of blood. Her poor child wailed like a banshee, turning green in a matter of seconds. Coriander hummed to him as she walked, bouncing him slightly against her chest. When he felt her tender bosoms, he instinctively buried his head in search of milk.

Coriander found herself outside the fabled research area Bruce had told her stories about within the second hour of them being there. She could only assume he was inside of it, and wondered how long he would be in there. They'd been here since ten in the morning, and it was currently one in the afternoon. As if Bruce knew she was thinking about him, he breezed quietly through the doors with a grease rag working at his right-hand index finger. He gave her a shy, crooked smile before peeling his eyes from the protective blanket shrouding his suckling son.

He'd enjoyed those once. A few times, actually, before Emery arrived. Now it would be a while before he got them back. If it made his son healthy, though, he could live with it. "What are you doing?" Laughed Cori as Bruce scrubbed a bit harder at his hand – OCD much? She wondered – before he folded and tucked the rag in his shirt breast pocket.

"Tony and I needed to dismantle a computer and run the DNA scan program Fury implemented. Tested it a few times to make sure it could locate you all. The program has a quarter-mile range of accuracy." He informed.

"Where did the stains come from, then?"

"The computer. We had to fix a printer, too. Fury doesn't want to be totally electronic in case something crashes the systems." Bruce pushed his glasses up on his nose as the bulge beneath the blanket shifted. Emery fought off the blanket, content to rest his little head in the junction of Cori's neck and shoulder as she tucked her bosom back into her shirt.

"I see." Coriander pivoted her torso softly, creating a gentle swinging motion to lull Emery back to sleep. He sprung alive without fail when he heard Bruce's voice. It was cute, but Cori thought he needed sleep after turning green from SHIELDs prodding. She wasn't sure what effect Hulking out had on a baby. "Anything else?"

"Listening to this really long, amusing story about a doctor and his patient."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Grinned Bruce as he swiped the edge of his nose absently with a clean finger. "I like that story."

"Me too."


End file.
